A trip to self
by Trugeta
Summary: Finding oneself's never easy, and made doubly as hard if you randomly change genders with differently temperated water. But maybe a twist of fate can help one Ranma Saotome on this journey of self-discovery when it gives another person a similar fate.
1. Talk under the bridge

**Title**: A trip to self  
**Author name**: Trugeta  
**Category: **Romance / Humour  
**Sub-category**: Action / Adventure

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story.

**Legend**:

"" – normal speech  
**''** – thoughts  
# – Panda signs  
° – Amazon language

**  
**This story takes place after Volume 38 of the Manga; it's an AU, so OOC is to be expected. The story might however also contain elements from the Anime. Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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Chapter 1: Talk under the bridge **

**  
**It had been one of those days. Ranma sighed. Lately his days had grown a lot worse than ever before, if that was even possible.

**  
**Currently he was sitting in his favourite spot, the one place where he retreated whenever he wanted to be alone, to think quietly and undisturbed. The spot under the bridge. Seemingly his only refuge from the daily insanity that was his life.

**  
**His day had started out as usually, well, as usual as a day in Nerima can be. The wake-up call from his father had once again consisted of a free trip into the Koi-pond. How he hated it! But his idiotic father always used it to his advantage that he was such a deep sleeper. Damn him! But sooner or later, payback would be dealt out.

**  
**Anyways, an instant onna-Ranma and a severe Panda beating later Ranma had joined the others for breakfast. Unfortunately for him (a quick change of forms later, courtesy of Kasumi's and her ever-ready kettle of hot water) it had been one of the days where Akane had helped cooking breakfast, now that they were on break.

**  
**Well, what Akane had tried to serve him as breakfast did not exactly _look_ like breakfast at all, despite all attempts of Kasumi to help. Granted, it had not moved on its own this time, but that had not really been reassuring to Ranma. It still had looked like something one would expect to encounter at a toxic waste dump.

**  
**His mother had long given up to teach Akane anything regarding cooking, recognizing a lost cause when she saw one, and had delegated this duty to Kasumi. Probably in the vain hope that the oldest Tendo daughter would be successful were she had failed.

**  
**Ranma had politely refused to even taste the food, but in hindsight he mused he could have been a tad bit politer still. **'Hmm, maybe I should not have said** _"Are ya trying ta kill me again with that toxic waste ya call food?"_**' **he thought to himself sheepishly.

**  
**His comment had once more provoked the well-known (throughout Nerima anyway) battle-cry "RANMA NO BAKA!" and an all-expenses-paid trip via Mallet Airs. This in and on itself would not have been so bad, after all, he was used to Akane's malletings. No, it was just his luck that he had to land in the canal once more.

**  
**And it had just been his luck that Tatewaki Kuno had been walking along the canal when Ranma-chan had emerged from the waters, dripping wet and her shirt now clinging to her well endowed chest. The Kami must really hate him.

**  
**Tatewaki Kuno, Nerima's resident delusional Samurai wannabe had, upon seeing his beloved pig-tailed Goddess, once more begun to sprout bad poetry and had attempted to glomp her to 'shower her with his affections', but one vicious right hook had dealt with this problem rather swiftly. It had been quite satisfying to see Kuno sailing over the horizon, where he'd probably annoyed some poor birds during his flight. Plus it had been an excellent stress relief, even if only briefly.

**  
**It were not those incidents in and on themselves, but the fact that they happened day in and day out. Once, after the failed wedding he had thought that things would calm down somewhat, but oh, how wrong he had been.

**  
**For about one week it had seemed to go his way for once. He and Akane had both put an effort into being nicer to the other, but it had not lasted long.

**  
**Shampoo had kept her distance after the failed wedding for exactly this one week. Then she had begun to throw herself at him once more, and with renewed vigour to boot. He had completely ignored Shampoo and had avoided her glomps and lunch wherever possible.

**  
**He had even ignored Ucchan, but that had not stopped Akane from mistrusting him. And Akane must have known how hard it had been on him to ignore his first childhood friend.

**  
**However, as good-natured as he was, he had not been able to stay mad at Ucchan for long. After two weeks he had forgiven her completely, which had prompted her to do everything in her might to show him her affections once more. Naturally Akane had not taken this well.

**  
**Accusations had degraded into a yelling-fest after Ukyo and Shampoo had chased him yet again, and when Akane's temper had once more reared its ugly head it had resulted in a severe malleting for him. Naturally all had been his fault, as usual.

**  
**But as so often he hadn't done anything, he had not even remotely shown affection to Shampoo or Ukyo and hadn't encouraged them in the slightest. He had just treated Ukyo _visibly_ as a friend and had even bought the usually free okonomiyaki from her. Shampoo he had still completely ignored, and he had tried to evade her bike and her glomps wherever and whenever possible.

**  
**But he had not always been successful, and Akane had once again done what she seemingly did best: jump to conclusions without taking the time to analyze the situation. And usually malletings had followed.

**  
**That had been three months ago, and from then on things had grown progressively worse, culminating in the happenings of today. After she had punted Kuno, she had been chased by Kodachi, Ukyo and Shampoo.

**  
**It had been a supreme effort on her part to not blow the insane and obsessed gymnast up. One strong part of her wanted to punish her for the stunt she had pulled at the wedding. The gall the girl had had to arrive to someone elses' wedding in a wedding costume! Lastly she had hung Kodachi upside down from a streetlamp tied down in her own ribbons and had escaped from Ukyo and Shampoo taking to the rooftops at a speed the others could not follow.

**  
**Oh yeah, to top things Mousse had also given an appearance and had berated and attacked her for 'stealing his darling Shampoo's affections'. It might have been funny had he not been talking to a lightpost. She had dealt efficiently and swiftly with him by tapping somewhat into the powers she had gained ever since Jusendo.

**  
**Then she had taken to the rooftops again and had used a restaurant to change back into male form. And here he was now, reflecting about the craziness that was commonly called the life of Ranma Saotome.

**  
**Had it not been for Kasumi, he would have probably gone crazy. **'Yeah,'** Ranma mused to himself, **'who would have thought that dear sweet Kasumi could teach me something useful? And had it not been for her moral support, I would've snapped!' **

**  
**Indeed, Kasumi's help during the last few months had been invaluable to him, and he had come to see her in a new light. Every time he had come staggering into the house, she had been there, first aid kit and a kettle of warm water ready. Always a comforting word on the lips and a smile when he needed one.

**  
**After Jusendo and their return to Nerima she had also slowly begun to teach Ranma manners and proper language. Even he himself had had to admit that he had been sourly lacking in this category. Not that anyone else outside Kasumi and his mother had minded or had even noticed his improving behaviour.

**  
**Kasumi had also made it clear to him, that he would never solve his problems by insulting others. Rather the contrary, he would make them worse, and Kasumi had had loads of examples to prove her point.

**  
**He had tried to follow her advice for he knew she was right, but sometimes he fell back into his instinctual behaviour, usually when Akane wanted to cook for him. Usually malletings followed.

**  
'Honestly, I know that I have _really_ improved my behaviour, even Kasumi says so. Heck, she has even _praised _me for my improved behaviour! But why is it that Akane treats me even worse than ever before? There's not a day that goes by without being malleted at least twice. I'm so sick and tired of it. Now the only thing missing is another loon attacking me.'** Ranma thought.

**  
**Some mischievous Kami must have heard him, for...

**  
**"Ranma, prepare to die!" exclaimed Ryoga.

**  
**The eternally lost boy had stumbled by due to pure accident, and had promptly stumbled upon his rival/friend. Sure, he still threw his usual battle-cry at Ranma wherever they met, but after Jusendo it had lost its meaning.

**  
**Nowadays he did not fight Ranma with the intent to kill him any more; rather their fights had turned from the heated brawls they had been into something that could nearly be called sparring matches.

**  
**Not that he minded, for had Ranma not given his all and killed Saffron, he, Ryoga, would sure as hell not be alive. Had it not been for Ranma, they all would have been roasted by Saffron.

**  
**Jusendo had brought Ryoga back to reality even more than Akari had managed and he had known there and then that Saffron had been _way_ out of his league. Saffron had been a true god. But Ranma had managed the impossible and had beaten Saffron. Therefore he owed him and he considered Ranma's 'debt' to him as paid. Well, nearly.

**  
**"Hello, Ryoga." was the tired reply of Ranma upon seeing Ryoga for the first time in more than two months.

**  
**That stopped Ryoga dead in his tracks. No witty insult? No calling him P-Chan? Ryoga may not have been the brightest bulb in the store, but even he recognized that something was wrong with his sometimes rival/sometimes friend.

**  
**Ever since the happenings at Jusendo Ryoga really saw Ranma in a different light. He had always accused him of being cowardly, but at Jusendo he had seen Ranma do things even he could only describe as heroic. Not that he would have ever told him so.

**  
**But after Jusendo he had wished Akane and Ranma happiness – after all, Ranma had killed a god to bring Akane back to life. What greater proof of love could one bring? He himself had overcome his infatuation with Akane after Jusendo and was now very happy with Akari. The same could obviously not be said about Ranma, for right now Ranma did not look the least bit happy.

**  
**Sensing Ranma's depression, a depression that rivalled one of his at its best, Ryoga did the sensible thing. Instead of going for their usual brawl, he sat his huge backpack including his bamboo umbrella down onto the ground. Then he sat down beside Ranma and patted him on the back. "What's up, man?"

**  
**Ranma looked at him with tired and sad eyes. "Everything is going down the drain, that's what's up." he sighed again. Ranma needed someone to talk to, and right now Ryoga was the convenient person. "Regardless how much I try, regardless what I do, she always takes it the wrong way, Ryoga. She never listens, nor does she believe me. She does not even _trust_ me, and that after I killed for her. Heck, I killed a god for her, for Kami-samas sake!"

**  
**Ryoga smirked. "'Regardless', Ranma? Using big words today?" he teased.

**  
**Ranma shot him a dirty look. "Hah hah, very funny. Not."

**  
**The cursed boy sobered and refrained from insulting Ranma for the time being. He was obviously not in the mood. The lost boy wanted to know what was eating his rival/friend. "Okay, sorry. So, tell me what happened."

**  
**Ranma looked at Ryoga in surprise. Ryoga had actually apologized? To him of all people? Was he ill? Shrugging his shoulders the pigtailed martial artist began to tell what was plaguing him. "It's not as much as what happened today, but the _sum_ of it all. _Every_ day, day in day out I get clobbered by Akane. For things I did not even do. She always takes anything I say and do the wrong way. Even Kasumi admits it, and would Kasumi ever lie? Did you know that I took 'lessons' from Kasumi to improve my behaviour and manners? All to make it work with Akane, so that we could have a good relationship. And what good did it do for me? Nothing! I get clobbered even more often than ever before. You wouldn't believe how often she told me lately that she hates me. And slowly I start to believe that she really _means_ it..." he trailed off.

**  
**Ryoga absorbed all what Ranma had said. True, when would _Kasumi_ ever lie? And ever since he had his Akane-coloured glasses ripped away from his eyes, Ryoga saw things more clearly. He was sure Ranma was telling the truth.

**  
**Sure, Akane was a beauty to behold, but it could not be denied that she had temper problems and was way too stubborn to admit her true feelings to Ranma. Alas, if only Ranma knew how much Akane loved him. "Ranma, I saw how Akane looked at you at the wedding. Okay, it was a total failure, and I'm still ashamed of how we fought for the Nannichuan casket like a bunch of children. But it remains that Akane showed her true feelings for you at the wedding. She does not hate you, she _loves_ you."

**  
**Ranma sighed and looked at Ryoga. "Then she's hidin' it very well. Ryoga, I have tried as hard as I can to make it work between her and me, but I can't go on this way for much longer. I have decided to give this relationship one more chance to work. If nothing changes within one month, if she still treats me like dirt, I'll cancel the engagement with her. I for my part will do my best to make it work, I won't even insult her in the slightest. Heck, I'll even eat her cooking to make it work."

**  
**In former times Ryoga would have attacked Ranma outright for such a statement. But that was before he actually had had the 'honour' to taste Akane's cooking himself for the first time. Ever since then he knew why Ranma _always_ refused to eat Akane's cooking. Fact was, the girl _could not_ cook.

**  
**Ryoga still cursed his directional curse that it had led him to the Tendo Dojo precisely on the day when Akane had cooked lunch. Polite as he was, he had not refused when Akane had asked him if he wanted something too. He had even made fun of Ranma when Ranma had tried to warn him. Oh how he had regretted it.

**  
**That had been more than two months ago, and Ryoga had spend nearly a month recuperating from what Akane called cooking on Akari's farm. Akari had thought someone had tried to poison her love and had wanted to call in the police for an investigation, but he had talked her out of it.

**  
**This incident had also served to remove the rest of his infatuation for Akane, and Akari's devoted care had deepened the feelings he had for the farm girl. During this month Akari had told him some truths, and due to his condition he had been too weak to get lost and he had had to listen. It really had helped that he saw reality without his formerly Akane-coloured glasses, and Akari had driven home a lot of truths.

**  
**But for Ranma to say that he would even eat Akane's cooking really meant that he would give his all. "You do love her, don't you?" he finally asked.

**  
**Ranma looked at him with a ghost of a smile. "Yes, at least I _think_ I did. Maybe I still do. But I don't know how much longer until she has beaten the love that is left out of me. But for her and my sake, I will make this work. I promise on my honour as a martial artist with you as witness that I will do everything in my power to make it work. After all, Ranma Saotome does not lose."

**  
**Ryoga nodded and smiled self-ironically. "I would have never imagined saying so, but after what you did at Jusendo for all of us I gotta say it. I wish you find your happiness, Ranma, like I found mine with Akari. She made it clear to me that not everything that has happened to me was your fault. She was the one who helped me overcome my depression. You know, I still blame you somewhat for getting my curse, but I'm as much to blame. Hadn't I followed you to China, none of this would ever have happened."

**  
**Now Ranma looked extremely baffled. What had happened to the real Ryoga? Had he been abducted by Aliens and been replaced? "What?" was the weak reply he finally uttered.

**  
**The bandana-clad martial artist smirked at this. "Sounds mature coming from me, huh?" he said and sobered up once more. "Had it not been for Akari, I'd still blame everything that has ever happened to me on you. It had nearly become an automatic reflex. Whenever I'd get lost, I'd blame you. Whenever something happened to Akane, even something you could not control, I'd blame you. I always blamed you for having seen hell, and believe me, the Heituenniichuan curse ain't no picnic. But Akari urged me to tell the whole story about what had happened at Jusenkyo. I was too weak to get lost, and when I did tell her, I remembered that you had chased the Panda, and that _he_ had batted me out of the way. Your follow-up only led to me losing my balance completely, which resulted in instant pig. I then realized that it was as much the Panda's fault. But unlike him, you never denied that you were to blame for that incident. It will be a long time before I can forgive and forget, but I won't try to kill you any more on sight."

**  
**Ranma's eyes had gotten as large as dinner-plates. Had he heard right? Ryoga and not blaming him for everything that had happened to him? "Uh, Ryoga, are you sure that you're feeling well? That does not sound like you at all..."

**  
**Ryoga grinned. "I know, and you have Akari to thank for it. She made it clear to me that I would never solve my problems by blaming them completely on someone else, in this case, you. After our talks and after she had helped me over my depression, I began to see the situation as it really is. You know, with Akari I really found love, and it isn't even so bad any more when I get lost, for I always manage to find her farm within two or three days. Somehow I'm drawn to her. At Jusendo and before the failed wedding I realized that my love for Akane would always be unrequited, and I moved on. Akari is all that I ever wished for, and she even loves my curse."

**  
**Ranma bit back the witty insult that balanced on the tip of her tongue. Now was a time where she was really grateful for the training Kasumi had put her through. "Wow, buddy, it really sounds like you are in love. I'm glad for you." he said, and Ryoga could hear that Ranma meant it. "I only wish it would work out between Akane and me..." Ranma said and sighed wistfully.

**  
**The lost boy patted him on the back once more. "I'm sure it will, Ranma, I'm sure it will."

**  
**For the first time that day Ranma managed a smile. Who would have thought that Ryoga of all people would help her overcome a depression? But it remained that he had, and he was grateful for it. "Thanks for the talk, Ryoga. I needed that." he said, and Ryoga nodded. "You know what? I'm glad that you don't blame me completely for Jusenkyo any more, but I myself do. And I will not rest until I found something to improve your situation. Akari may like the curse, but you're still nearly _helpless_ when you're a pig. I'll find a way to help you."

**  
**Ryoga looked astonished at that. Ranma and helping him? Akari had been obviously right, he _had_ judged Ranma's character wrong. "You still think there is a cure out there?"

**  
**Ranma shrugged. "I doubt that there is one for me any more, not after what happened to Jusenkyo. What with the springs all mixed there ain't no Nannichuan spring any more. But who knows, maybe there is still Nannichuan water out there. Or another cure. And if there is, who knows, maybe I'll find it. And if I do, I'll let you know."

**  
**The fanged boy nodded. "That would be great. Ehm... Ranma?"

**  
**"Yeah?" the pig-tailed martial artist asked.

**  
**"How come you don't talk like you usually do?" Ryoga asked.

**  
**Ranma grinned. "Ya mean kinda like that? Two reasons. One, you have to thank Kasumi for it. She made a supreme effort to teach me how to talk properly and behave properly. Heck, she even made me read a ton of dictionaries to improve my vocabulary!" he said, and Ryoga snickered at the 'behave' part. Ranma shot him an annoyed glare. "You wouldn't believe how convincing and persistent Kasumi can be, and don't forget, Kasumi controls the food!"

**  
**Ryoga snickered at the mental image. Yup, he could clearly imagine. Ranma would degrade into his slang and bad table manners, and Kasumi would refuse to serve second and third helpings. Result: a half-starved Ranma. Heh, he nearly pitied Ranma. But only nearly. "You said _two_ reasons. What is the other?" he asked.

**  
**Now Ranma smirked. "As you well know I grew up with Pop as my teacher." he began, and Ryoga nodded. "Well, he was not my only teacher, and I learned from a lot of Sensei at the Shrines and temples we stopped by. I actually learned to read, write and talk properly, but I had to hide it from Pop. He always regarded everything beside the Art as useless, and would have probably punished me for 'wasting time'. Sometimes I think he wanted to keep me stupid on purpose, so that he would have an easier time to live off of me for the rest of his life." he said angrily.

**  
**Ryoga nodded. That was something the Panda _would_ do. He had seen many examples of _how_ useless the fat man was, and Jusendo had been the most recent. Meanwhile Ranma continued. "As said, I had to hide it, and it was an advantage in fights too. After all, which opponent would take a slang-talking jock seriously? At first it was an act I put on to irritate my enemies and lure them into a false sense of safety. But over time it became my normal mode to talk, and only due to Kasumi's efforts my linguistic skills are approaching what they were before."

**  
**Now the lost boy looked suitably impressed. He was really using big words. Wow. "Wow, I'd never have guessed. Who would have thought that there is more to Ranma Saotome than meets the eye?" Ryoga joked.

**  
**Ranma blew him a raspberry, and Ryoga bonged him playfully on the head, just like friends would do. After that, Ranma had a question too. "Ryoga, you said that Akari helped you overcome your depression. Does that mean that she cured you from the Shi Shi Hokodan?"

**  
**The lost boy nodded. "Yes, and I don't regret it in the slightest. The Shi Shi Hokodan might have been the strongest weapon in my arsenal, but I had long since realized that it was slowly destroying me."

**  
**Now Ranma looked puzzled, and at seeing his look Ryoga explained. "You know that the Shi Shi Hokodan is based on depression." he began, and Ranma nodded. "Each time I used it, I became more depressed. Sure, using the blast would alleviate the depression for a short time, but after some time it would come back crashing down even harder. It was a vicious circle. And had Akari not helped me overcome my depression with her love and care I might have become suicidal. I might have lost my strongest attack, but I gained something so much better: love."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "I'm happy for you, I really am." he said and got up. The cursed martial artist then extended his hand, and Ryoga took it. "Thanks, Ryoga. Now I gotta go back, I'm sure they're already lamenting that I haven't returned and what an 'ungrateful and worthless brat' I am." he said self-ironically.

**  
**The bandana-clad boy grinned. "Knowing the two old farts you got that right. Good luck, Ranma. I'll go back to the farm now. If something happens considering the Nannichuan or another cure for that matter, here is Akari's phone number and my mail-address. Usually you reach me at the farm, if I'm not lost, that is. If you want to and have the time, you can come and stop by." he said half in jest.

**  
**"Thanks, buddy. I might do just that." Ranma said, took the offered card and waved good bye. Ryoga did the same, and seconds later he had disappeared.

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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**  
**


	2. A long day

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 2: A long day **

**  
**When Ranma was on his way back to the Tendo Dojo after the talk with Ryoga evening was already approaching. The cursed martial artist had decided to use the direct route and had taken to the rooftops to avoid getting splashed again, but he was sure everyone would be on his case once he got back. Like always.

**  
**While jumping over the rooftops, he had to think about his mother. At first, after she had found out about the curse, Nodoka Saotome had not believed Ranma when he had told her that he got splashed more times than he could count a day, but after a shopping trip together she _had_ been convinced. In the beginning she had demanded that he change back immediately, but after the tenth time she had given up and shaken her head in defeat.

**  
**Ranma shook his head and smiled in remembrance. It sure had been funny how his mother had grown progressively more irritated with each change, until she had finally relented. Ranma hadn't been able to deny himself to say "Now you see with what I have to put up."

**  
**That had been a few months ago, and ever since after the failed wedding his mothers´ behaviour towards him had improved. So she had stopped her constant harpings about manliness, which was a good thing in his book. Slightly smiling to himself Ranma landed soundlessly on the roof of the Tendo Dojo. His arrival had however not gone unnoticed, for seconds later his 'loving' iinazuke came storming in his direction. Obviously she had couchedin the area to catch him once he returned.

**  
**Red faced she looked up at the roof, from which Ranma was just getting down in one swift jump. "RANMA NO BAKA! Where have you been? Smooching and kissing with Ukyo? Or was it Shampoo? Or perhaps both? You pervert! Answer me!" she yelled in obvious anger and hefted her mallet in one hand.

**  
**Ranma sighed to himself. **'Yes, Akane, and I led on the whole cheerleading team. And Kodachi, Ukyo and Shampoo too, while I was at it.'** he thought ironically. **'If she would kill me if I voiced that out loud? Yup. For sure. Well, here goes nothing...'** he thought and sighed internally before answering. He had sworn to himself, on his honour as a martial artist to boot and with Ryoga as witness, that he would give his all to make it work out. And Ranma Saotome kept his promises, came there hell or high water.

**  
**Instead of insulting her on the spot like he would have done in former times in face of her jealous, irrational and totally unjustified behaviour he drew in a deep breath and looked Akane directly into her beautiful brown eyes. Eyes that were presently clouded with anger and jealousy. "I didn't do nothin', Akane. I went for a walk in the park after you send me there and then I met Ryoga. Then we..."

**  
**He did not manage to finish the sentence. "Aha!" Akane cried. "You picked on poor Ryoga once more! RANMA NO BAKA!" she yelled and swung the mallet at him. Once more Akane presented her remarkable talent to jump with little to no data to the totally wrong conclusions. If those could be called conclusions at all.

**  
**Lately Ranma really wondered _why_ Akane was so angry at him. He had really improved his behaviour, had avoided Shampoo where he could, had treated Ukyo as a friend and had even made her, Akane, compliments. But how did she thank him? Right, with a mallet to the head. Like presently.

**  
**Dodging or stopping said mallet would have usually been childs' play to him, but he had sworn that he would make it work. If Akane would lose her anger through hitting him, so be it. Thus the mallet connected with force against his cranium and send him into the ground. But instead of inducing unconsciousness like in former times the strike only made him dizzy.

**  
**Ranma wondered why that was so, not that he didn't take it in stride. He had noticed that he had become much stronger and tougher ever since Jusendo, and his ki-reserves had deepened considerably and were apparently still doing so.

**  
**It had made things a lot easier in his fights against Mousse, for the blind duck-boy did still go all out against him in his quest to win Shampoo's affections by removing the obstacle, namely him. At first Ranma had thought that Mousse had overcome his obsession with Shampoo after Jusendo, but obviously he had been wrong.

**  
**The male Chinese Amazon was still chasing Shampoo like a mot the light, and he still saw Ranma as a hindrance that had to be removed. Not that Ranma had done anything regarding Shampoo. Heck, he had not even talked to her at all after the failed wedding except maybe in syllables.

**  
**Ranma sighed internally. When would all those obsessed idiots like Mousse and Kuno get a clue? Anyway, his ole man had also noticed that Ranma was now way out of his league, and the cursed martial artist mused that his Pop would not even be able to beat him using his so called Saotome Sealed techniques.

**  
**Although the morning spars with his father had mostly lost its appeal to Ranma, he still partook in them, making them a challenge by limiting himself to his father's level. But inwardly he wished that he would meet someone on an equivalent level.

**  
**Sure, Ryoga could nearly keep up with him due to his Bakusai Tenketsu training, but even though it had become progressively easier for him to beat the Lost Boy. Only good that Ryoga did not succumb to fits of uncontrolled rage any more when he lost to Ranma nowadays. It was much better for the surroundings...

**  
**Shaking himself out of his musings and shaking the dizziness out of his head at the same time Ranma got up, dusting his clothes of. "No, Akane, I did _not_ pick on him." he told the retreating back of his iinazuke. Said iinazuke whirled around, anger once more aflame. She _always_ seemed to be angry and jealous lately, around him anyway, and Ranma had yet to find out the reason why without getting killed in the process.

**  
**In a calm and controlled voice Ranma continued, well aware of the danger. "We just talked. He told me what he had done in the last two months, among things." he said, and Akane slowly deflated. Good, the pervert seemed for once not have picked on poor Ryoga. If he could be believed, that is...

**  
'Pheew, the immediate danger seems to have passed. Mount Akane ain't erupting again for now.'** Ranma thought. "Do you mind if we go indoors? I figure the neighbours have heard enough for today." he suggested.

**  
**Before Akane could get out an angry reply a voice from the door interrupted. "They don't give a damn any more, Ranma." Nabiki said. "Not since they've made their houses soundproof."

**  
**Ranma smirked. "And I bet you conducted the deals, huh, Nabiki?"

**  
**Nabiki grinned sharklike. "Naturally, Saotome."

**  
**Ranma nodded to himself. He had expected no less of Nabiki. If there was an opportunity to make a profit, Nabiki was there."Thought so, Nabiki. Do you know when lunch will be ready? And maybe what the old men are up to?"

**  
**Nabiki held her hand out. "2000 yen and I'll tell you."

**  
**The cursed martial artist snorted. He couldn't be sure that she was joking and didn't want to take a chance. For Nabiki seldom joked where money was concerned. To be true, she never joked where money was concerned. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'll find out myself." Ranma said and entered the house.

**  
**Ranma was greeted by the usual sight. His father and Mr. Tendo were sitting at the Shogi board, and both fathers were cheating with abandon. As always. Upon his arrival, both looked up. "Where have you been, foolish and worthless boy? Your iinazuke cried bitter tears because you slighted her so, and you ran away like a coward! Oh, what a dishonour my own son is to me!" his father cried.

**  
**Ranma regretted his promise to play nice for the first time now. _He_, a dishonour? Who had been the idiot who had shot their family honour so often he had lost count? What right did the baka panda have to talk about honour? Heck, he wouldn't recognise honour even when it bit him in his furry butt! Phew!

**  
**And _he_ had run away? If his memory served him right it had been _Akane_ who had malleted him out of the compound and into LEO. But did the idiots tell _her_ to apologise to him? Or even to be nicer _to him_, for a change? Noooo.And why should they? Akane apparently never did anything wrong. Hypocrites.

**  
**Oh, how he longed to give his father a good tongue lashing, but in order to give the relationship with Akane a chance to work out he had to refrain from doing so. Because the old farts would say that Akane had done nothing wrong, Akane would see herself confirmed in her actions and he would get into a crosstalk which would likely end in a malleting.And he really didn't need another one. Two per day were more than enough in his book.

**  
**Thus he had to control himself for now. Payback would come tomorrow at the latest. Sparring time or how to make the Panda hit the pond until he saw stars.Yup, no holding back tomorrow. Well, not much.

**  
**Naturally Soun Tendo threw his two cents into the mix. "HOW COULD YOU MAKE MY LITTLE GIRL CRY! NOW THE SCHOOLS WILL NEVER BE JOINED!" Soun bellowed, applying his dreaded Demon-Head technique.

**  
**But instead of being scared and scampering away from the apparition like in former times Ranma only looked bored and completely unamused. He had fought and killed a god. Did the old man actually believe he would be scared by a chi-manifestation any more? **'Phew, if the old idiots really want to join the schools so badly they should tell Akane to stop treating me like she does. If I only _breathe_ wrong I get malleted these days. But do they tell her to treat me as nice as I treat her? Nooo. So spare me your ramblings, old farts!'** he thought, blasting them through the wall in his imagination.

**  
**But instead of reacting or insulting the two old farts Ranma completely ignored them to their complete astonishment and entered the kitchen, where Kasumi was working as usual. "Hello Kasumi." he said and smiled. "Do you need a helping hand?"

**  
**The eldest Tendo daughter looked up from the stove and smiled back. "It would be nice if you could help me to serve the meal, Ranma."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Sure thing, Kasumi." the cursed martial artist answered and did just that.

**  
**Five minutes later everyone was seated, and between bites Ranma related what Ryoga had told him. No one beside Kasumi, Nodoka and Nabiki noticed Ranma's altered attitude towards the lost boy, and Akane often cried how he should stop picking on poor Ryoga, although it was blatantly obvious that Ranma had not done so in the slightest and still did not do so.

**  
**Even Nodoka, who had returned from running some errands and who was now sitting beside her husband was beginning to worry about Akane. The girl seemed unnaturally angry lately.

**  
**From then on, after Ranma had finished telling them about his meeting with Ryoga (of which he had given them an abridged version), the meal progressed normally, without any incidents. At the end of the meal, however, Akane had one of her 'best' moments. Ranma had helped Kasumi to clear the table under the protests of his father, who had said it was a housewife´s job, and after this had been done, Ranma bowed to Kasumi. "Kasumi, the meal was delicious as always. Thanks."

**  
**The cry "RANMA NO BAKA!" came out of nowhere, and suddenly Ranma felt himself being launched towards the koi-pond. The hit in and on itself did not hurt much, but the unprovokedness of the attack did so much more. Ranma shook her head sadly and exited the Koi-pond, dripping wet. **'Why me?'** was all Ranma could think at the moment.

**  
**Nodoka turned towards Akane with a stern face. "_Why_ did you hit my son, Akane?"

**  
**Nabiki was asking herself the same question. She praised herself to be a good observer, and lately she had noticed that her little sis was getting more and more jealous and angry. Her temper had turned worse than ever, which might have to do with the fact that Ukyo and Shampoo were pulling out all the stops to win Ranma. But the Saotome youth had steadily refused their advances and still did his best to stay clear of them. And Nabiki had a lot of proof for that. No, Ranma was not unfaithful, rather the opposite.

**  
**And she had tried to drive that point home towards her sister, but Akane had not listened. She never did lately, and it seemed as if it had gotten even worse ever since Kasumi had begun to tutor Ranma. And that although her sister had made phenomenal progress with Ranma. It had been a month since he had last exhibited his well known 'Saotome-foot-in-the-mouth-technique'. And still Akane reacted with anger and jealousy. But why? Akane could not be jealous that Ranma spent time with Kasumi, could she? There simply was no reason for that. Ranma would never lead her sister on, and it was very unlikely that Kasumi would fall for the Saotome youth.

**  
**Could it be that the constant pressure of her father and 'uncle' Saotome, in addition to Akane's jealousy and anger because of Shampoo and Ukyo and the fact, that Ranma seemingly did nothing to resolve the engagement mess were slowly killing or had already killed the love Akane felt for Ranma? And Nabiki knew that Akane loved Ranma or had at least loved him, even if she had never acted on it or shown it too him. Little sis had always been way too stubborn to admit her feelings (outside from anger) to anyone.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter did not think that Akane _had_ stopped loving Ranma, but the fact remained that Akane treated Ranma worse than ever. And Nabiki did not know how long the Saotome youth would put up with this. After all, Akane's behaviour towards Ranma bordered on gross mistreatment. From all the evidence she had seen Nabiki slowly came to the conviction that her little sister and Ranma could never have a healthy, lasting relationship. Not the way Akane behaved at the moment.

**  
**And at the moment it was Ranma alone who put any effort into making a relationship with her little sister possible, and he was, even in her opinion, making a supreme effort. The fathers with her mindless and outright idiotic schemes and their constant pressure on the two were sure no help. Maybe she, Nabiki, had done the right thing for he wrong reasons at the wedding. Hmm, this had to be watched.

**  
**Meanwhile her little sister had faltered somewhat under the stern glare of the Saotome matriarch. "He... he was being a pervert with Kasumi!" she declared.

**  
**Nodoka was at a loss for words in face of that answer, and Nabiki shook her head. She had to voice it. "Sis, he only _thanked _Kasumi for a good meal. That's called _politeness_."

**  
**Akane however did not budge. "That does not change that he was and is a pervert!" she declared angrily and stormed off towards the dojo.

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma had staggered back into the house, and Kasumi had a kettle of hot water at the ready. Ranma however politely declined. "No thanks, Kasumi." she said, but before she could continue to say anything she was once more interrupted, as so often.

**  
**"What! You wanna stay a weak girl? Oh the dishonour! My son is a worthless and weak little girl!" Genma exclaimed, crying crocodile tears.

**  
**Ranma had tried to tame her temper for quite some time now, but that was the straw that broke the proverbial camels back. "Oyaji no baka!" she exclaimed and launched her father into the Koi-pond. "_Who_ is weak now, stupid Panda?" she sneered at the Panda.

**  
**"Growf growfl growl!" was Panda-mans response from the Koi-pond, which meant so much as **'Oh my head!'**. Why was he seeing so many Pandas dancing around his head? Uhh, Ranma did pack quite a wallop...

**  
**Nodoka, who was torn between chiding her son-turned-daughter for improper behaviour or praising her for correcting her fathers' utterly stupid and misogynistic behaviour, decided to do the latter. "THAT he had coming. But why _do_ you want to stay a girl, dear?"

**  
**Ranma resigned from rolling her eyes. Why did she _always_ have to explain and justify herself? "It's quite simple, mom. I want a good soak in the furo, and it would make little sense to change back now when I change back in a minute or so anyhow. Rather use the water on the stupid Panda. Or on second though, _don't_. All he's doing is talkin' rubbish. I'm now off into the furo, and I don't wanna be disturbed! By _nobody_!"

**  
**Sensing her mood, everyone refrained from saying anything and Ranma was able to reach the furo unoffended. She made sure to put out the sign that said that the furo was occupied. No, there was no need to have _another_ Akane incident. Two clobberings per day were _more _than enough for her taste.

**  
**A minute or so later Ranma, now returned to male form was soaking in the hot bath. Slowly the stress was leaving his muscles, and he began to feel relaxed for the first time this day. He did not know how long he lay there, simply relaxing.

**  
**In this state of near meditation he was always able to think most clearly. His thoughts kept returning to how he could solve the whole mess his father's actions had entangled him in. But no solution came to mind. As the water became steadily colder, Ranma exited the tub and just wanted to reach for a towel, when...

**  
**"RANMA NO HENTAI!"

**  
**Perfect. Just his luck. He _had_ put the sign out, and _Akane_ would walk in on _him_. Talk about repeating patterns. And naturally, _everything_ was _his_ fault. Although she, unlike him, was still wearing a bathrobe, which protected her modesty from his perverted´ eyes. He sighed and prepared for the inevitable. He grabbed a large towel and adjusted it to make sure that it would not come off through the force of the blow that was to come.

**  
**And seconds later the mallet connected with his head again (an overhead swing this time), for the third time this day. The tiles cracked under the pressure, and the blow was nearly hard enough to embed him into the floor.

**  
**Shaking his head once more to clear it Ranma got up and adjusted the towel once more to cover himself better, for he could already hear footsteps in the distance.

**  
**Akane's yell had obviously caught the attention of the others, and a minute later Nodoka, Kasumi and Nabiki barged into the furo. The absence of the old farts, however, was suspicious.

**  
**Seeing the cracked tiles Nabiki was the first to reach the right conclusion. "What did he do _now_, Akane?"she asked, while mentally calculating the costs replacing the damaged tiles would cause.

**  
**Akane still glowered with anger. "He was being a PERVERT, that's what! I wanted to use the furo, and he _flashed_ me! YOU HENTAI!" she screamed at Ranma, who refrained from comment a he was still nursing the newest addition to his lumps.

**  
**Nabiki turned to her sister. What with her history concerning boys she could understand Akane's reaction. But one question remained. "And why did _you_ walk in on _him_ although the sign was out?"

**  
**Akane looked stunned for a moment, then glowered again. "And how would _you_ know, sis?"

**  
**Nabiki smirked, although the smirk was an entirely unpleasant one. "Be careful with your accusations, little sis. As a matter of fact, I passed the furo by and saw that it was still occupied. I wanted to take a soak myself, but the sign was out."

**  
**That caused Akane to deflate. "But... but the sign was _gone_ when I checked! Otherwise I would have never walked in on the pervert!"

**  
**Nodoka was about to retort that Akane should stop insulting her son for no reason, but Nabiki interrupted her with her musings. "Hmm... the sign _was_ out when I walked by... naturally! Dad and uncle... I bet they took the sign away to speed up the 'Joining of the schools'. Meh, amateurs!"

**  
**Nodoka looked at Nabiki. "What, you mean that my husband and Soun are responsible? Hmm, although my husband is right and it would be manly of my son to peek at his iinazuke, I think I'll have to talk to Genma about this." she said and fingered her ever-present katana.

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma had gotten up and left the furo without a word, and Kasumi followed him. He had had enough. It had been a loooong day. Kasumi whereas sighed. Surely the new lumps Ranma had received courtesy of her youngest sister needed tending...

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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**  
**


	3. What are your feelings, Ranma?

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 3: What are your feelings, Ranma? **

**  
**After this incident things really started to look up for a time. Akane had obviously gotten a good tongue-lashing from her sisters for her newest stunt, and it showed. Now the youngest Tendo made at least an effort to curb her jealousy and anger, and even if she did not succeed all the time, it was a begin. That Akane got her temper somewhat better under control might also have to do with the fact that Kasumi had begun to apply calming herbs to her morning tea without her notice…

**  
**Ranma continued his efforts to be nice to Akane and ignored the two old farts and their ramblings altogether, although they were still grating on his nerves with their harebrained schemes to push Akane and him together. Akane did not clobber him as often as she used to, and that was always a good thing in Ranma's book. Then one day...

**  
**The pigtailed youth just came back from a brawl with the myopic duck-boy, and he was hungry like a legion of locusts. Beating Mousse had been easy, he had just knocked him unconscious and had dropped him off at the Nekohanten. But he had already been _very_ hungry before that. "Tadaima!" he greeted, then looked around. No sign of his dad or Mr. Tendo. Odd.

**  
**"Hello Ranma." Kasumi greeted with a smile. She had seen Ranma's look scanning the room, and knew what he thought. "Father and Uncle have left and will be back late. They said they had something to celebrate."

**  
**Ranma nodded. Trust the old farts to celebrate that he and Akane got somewhat along. If he were not really careful, the two old idiots would probably plan the next wedding. Which would probably get bombed too. "Okay by me. When is lunch, Kasumi? I'm totally wiped out!"

**  
**Kasumi had presented warding signs when he had mentioned the L-word, but Ranma had apparently not noticed. Thus fate took its course. "Oh Ranma, I'm so glad to hear that!" called a familiar voice from the kitchen. A voice that had no place in a kitchen at all, nor had the rest of her, as far as he was concerned.

**  
'Drat!'** Ranma thought. **'Me 'n my big mouth. I'm doomed! And if I tell her ta try her own cooking before serving it ta me she'll clobber me for sure! If I say I don't wanna try it she'll clobber me 'n if I try it and nearly die she'll clobber me too. Just great!'**

**  
**Actually, Kasumi and his mother had done a really good job to keep Akane out of kitchen up till now. Both women knew that they would _never_ get Akane to try her own cooking before serving it to Ranma, as Akane was much too convinced that her cooking tasted heavenly.

**  
**Or she subconsciously knew how dreadful her cooking really was and would claim all the louder how heavenly it was to thrust away her subconsciousness. Anyway, every time Kasumi or Nodoka had tried to get her to taste her own cooking in the past she had refused with the argument that she was absolutely sure it tasted heavenly, so why should she try it. There was just no reason for that in her opinion. And it seemed that her attitude was unchangeable.

**  
**Thus Kasumi and Nodoka had decided to keep Akane out of the kitchen and had used her to run errands. Or they had busied her otherwise. The logic was simple. If Akane had no time and occasion to cook, no toxic-food-incident could happen.

**  
**And Ranma had soon noticed that his mother was as set on making this work as he was, because she, with Kasumi's help, had done a _very_ good job to keep the youngest Tendo sister out of the kitchen applying this logic. He had seldom seen his mother this determined in the months he had come to know her. Hmm, obviously something had gone wrong today. Could have to do with his mothers' absence, he mused.

**  
**Had Akane, whom Kasumi alone obviously had not managed to keep out of the kitchen, been able to hear his thoughts, a malleting would have followed. Which might have been the more painless procedure. But as Akane was no telepath fate took its inevitable course and the youngest Tendo daughter came out of the kitchen, baking gloves covering her hands. In her covered hands she was carrying a plate of... something the pigtailed martial artist had dubbed UFO – 'unidentified food object'.

**  
**Ranma couldn't be sure _what_ the UFO was _this_ time, but he was quite sure that it shouldn't be moving. Or should it? Maybe it was _very _fresh fish, but somehow the Saotome youth doubted it. And he had never seen food coloured like that before. Akane placed it before him with a smile, and Kasumi gave him a pitying look, but made sure that Akane wouldn't see it else her temper might boil over prematurely at seeing the 'pervert' being friendly with her sister.

**  
**The Saotome youth nodded imperceptibly towards Kasumi and braced himself. Feigning a smile at the waiting Akane Ranma nodded, accepting his fate. "Mmmh, I'm hungry!" he said, while adding **'Not!'** mentally.

**  
**Then he raised his chopsticks and studied the 'UFO' before him once more. Beside the fact that it was moving, it was dotted with odd green things that he was sure should not belong there. Or anywhere else in the proximity of food for this matter. Inwardly he sighed. Had Akane tried to spice up the food once more?

**  
**Alas, knowing her talents as a cook, or rather the lack thereof, Ranma was quite sure that the spices (or other substances) Akane had used in creating the UFO were the _least_ he had to worry about. After all, due to Akane's attempts at cooking, Kodachi's attempts at drugging and poisoning him (regarding the form) and Shampoo's application of her herbs, drugs and poisons on a regular basis he had acquired quite the immunity against most poisons. Which came in quite handy at times. Though Ranma would have liked to acquire this immunity in another way, if possible.

**  
**But _whatever_ it was that was sitting before him on the plate, it had him worried. Very much so. Feeling not unlike a man who was led up to the gallows, Ranma dug into the food. _Very_ hesitantly. As in with a ten-foot pole. **'Probably being in a nuclear reactor now instead of being here and trying _that_ wouldn't be as bad...'** he thought to himself.

**  
**He took one bite, making sure to avoid the odd green things, and swallowed. Immediately he regretted it. Kasumi, who was still standing frozen in her position, anxious of what would happen, was witness as Ranma's face suddenly changed colour. First it coloured green, afterwards yellow and then, finally, blue. Then a breath of fire escaped the pig-tailed martial artists' mouth that nearly roasted the table. Ranma's eyes were watering and he ran towards the kitchen sink to wash his mouth out.

**  
**Akane, on her part, was seething unlike ever before, and the calming effects of the herbs evaporated like a snowball in hell. Here she had been standing in the kitchen hours upon hours, making an effort in being nice to her iinazuke by preparing food for him, food which surely tasted _heavenly_, she was sure, and he insulted her by behaving like he did. The ungrateful pervert! She would teach him!

**  
**Red with anger, mallet at the ready she stormed into the kitchen, where Ranma had just finished banishing the vile taste of the 'food' and was currently waving air into his still steaming mouth. He just looked up in time to see the mallet flying towards his head, and then, with a cry of "RANMA NO BAKA!" he was once again launched into the air, landing in the Koi pond.

**  
**Akane then stomped steaming towards the dojo to work off some stress. The ingrate! How dare he insult her food! _Nobody_ had the right to insult her heavenly food! Soon the sounds of bricks being smashed emerged from the dojo, and a wet Ranma-onna tried to extract herself from the ground of the Koi-pond.

**  
**Kasumi, who had watched all this, had grimaced as Akane had sent Ranma airborne once more, like so often lately. After having seen Ranma's reaction to the 'food' she had retreated to the kitchen. Not only to check up on the first aid kit, for this was only the pretended reason. Kasumi knew the condition of the first aid kit quite well.

**  
**The eldest Tendo daughter had sat down on a chair in the kitchen, well knowing that no one was around to see her. Ranma would need some time to recuperate from the very hard blow Akane had dealt out before he, or rather she, would emerge from the pond, and her sister was breaking bricks in the dojo and would do so for quite some time. 'Insults' to food 'cooked' by her never sat well with Akane.

**  
**She had tried to hold back her tears, but suddenly they came in the blink of an eye and her shoulders quivered as Kasumi began to cry. Not because of this single, isolated incident, but because of the mounting cases that bordered on gross ill-treatment. Ill treatment of a fine young man, and that in the name of the 'Joining of the schools'. Let alone watching all this hurt her, and she could only begin to imagine how much all of it must hurt poor Ranma.

**  
**The oldest Tendo daughter cried for a young man who was constantly abused by her younger sister Akane and her own family, only because of a downright foolish agreement made by her father and 'Uncle' Saotome to fulfil _their_ dreams. But who had paused to ask _Ranma_ about his own dreams? _His_ hopes and feelings? If _he_ wanted all this? The saddening answer was: nobody.

**  
**Another part of her tears was also shed because of her own idiocy. Over a year ago, when Ranma had first arrived at the Tendo Dojo, wet, female and in the company of a giant Panda, she and Nabiki had literally foisted Ranma off at Akane after finding out about his curse. And that faster than Ranma had been able to blink. And Akane had not taken well to it after all her experiences with Tatewaki Kuno and the Hentai Horde. Those experiences had taught her that all boys near her age were perverts who only wanted to grope a feel or worse.

**  
**So the last thing she had wanted at that time had been to be engaged to a boy her age. And a perverted boy of the same age as her who turned into a girl had been so much worse in Akanes' opinion. For the pervert could peek at a girls´ body anytime he wanted, all that he needed was cold water.

**  
**Sadly, her little sisters' attitude towards Ranma had not changed in over a year. It was quite obvious to anyone that Ranma was anything but a pervert, and he had proven this many times in the past. Kasumi even doubted that Ranma had had the 'talk'. And what with the sex-ed Furinkan High provided it was more than questionable that Ranma had ever done anything perverted. At even the hint of sexuality Ranma had always been nearly mortally embarrassed. No, he was no pervert, but regardless the evidence, Akane would not believe it.

**  
**According to her little sister Ranma was always doing perverted things with Shampoo, Ukyo and even Kodachi, and he had to be punished for it. And regardless how much Kasumi had tried, she had not been able to convince her little sister of Ranma's innocence. Or of the theory that her rivals might be trying to use her temper problems against her. Little sisters answer had been the outburst "I have no temper problems!", which had indeed been proof to the contrary, but Akane had not listened to anything of it.

**  
**Apparently her little sister treated Ranma abiding by the rule guilty until proven otherwise, and guilty in case of doubt. Oddly enough, she seemed to believe others more readily than her own iinazuke, and lately this rang more true than ever. Though Kasumi had no idea why. And lately Akane seemed to give in to her anger and jealousy much easier than ever before, something for which the eldest Tendo daughter had no explanation. Even the herbs she had used had not helped.

**  
**Sure, Kasumi knew that her little sister had feelings for Ranma, in fact Kasumi was quite sure that she loved him, but she was not showing him anything but contempt, jealousy and anger. And Kasumi knew that it could not go on like this. Ranma would not put up with this forever. She asked herself time and time again from where Ranma was taking his patience, for she figured even she would have run off screaming by now..

**  
**The eldest of the Tendo sisters for her part had, when her father had announced the engagement, thought that she _knew_ what kind of man she wanted, and she had had her eyes already set on the young, handsome, successful and widely respected doctor, Tofu Ono. A boy who turned into a girl due to a curse and who was rough and uncivilised had not been in the equation.

**  
**How foolish she had been. She had realised this in the last three months, in which she had come to know Ranma very well. He had told her everything about what had transpired at Jusendo. They had had talks even before Jusendo, and she had often tended to his wounds in the past. Ranma had trusted her and had opened up to her, and after that talk she had vowed that she would give it her best to bring Akane and Ranma together. The young man deserved happiness, as did her youngest sister. And that's why she had decided three months ago that if she could correct Ranma's behaviour and 'foot-in-mouth-problems', Akane and Ranma might just have a chance together.

**  
**That was why she had begun to tutor him regarding proper behaviour, language and manners and even school subjects. At first the progress had been slow, but after Kasumi had presented this training as a challenge it had been incredible how much Ranma had improved.

**  
**It was like watching how a caterpillar developed into a butterfly. Add to his improved behaviour that Ranma Saotome was a kind, noble and deeply caring man, if he was not in female form. Then Ranma Saotome was a gentle person. And Ranma had demonstrated his will to sacrifice himself for others at Jusendo, an act of greatness, not only in Kasumi's eyes. Which proved his selflessness. Shampoo had (unsurprisingly) and even though she had been ignored by Ranma constantly praised the pigtailed martial artist for his power and bravery. And it was obvious that Ranma now had Ryogas' respect.

**  
**Also, Ranma always worried about others before worrying about himself and did not want to hurt them, even if they in return even sought to kill him. Like Mousse, who still tried to kill Ranma to remove the obstacle in his quest to get Shampoos' love. Proof for this could also be found in the situation regarding his so called fiancée brigade. Kasumi had, ever since she had begun working with Ranma, come to realise that he was so reluctant to resolve the mess his own father had created because he did not want to _hurt_ Ukyo and Shampoo.

**  
**Yes, Ranma worried about others more than about himself and always tried to do the honourable and right thing, despite the fact that it _always_ seemed to fail and come back to haunt him. What good had honour done for him? **  
**Family honour had trapped him in a nearly unsolvable mess thanks to the actions of his greedy and stupid father, and despite all this Ranma still remained true to his honour. Sometimes Kasumi thought it was the only thing left to him of importance beside his Art.

**  
**This young man was so driven by honour that he would not even allow father and 'Uncle' Saotome to hurt Grandfather Happosai in his moment of weakness. Ranma was a man who'd never let a friend down, regardless the costs.

**  
**The promises made by him were of the kind one could trust blindly, for it was known that Ranma always kept word. And how often had he fought for her family to protect the Tendo dojo from danger? The Dojo Destroyer was only one of many examples in that regard. And how often had he saved her youngest sister from a bad fate through risking his own life? Countless times. And how did they thank him? With a mallet to the head, slights to his honour and insults. Oh, and through blaming him for anything that went wrong, regardless if it was Ranma's fault or not. Ranma Saotome, the convenient scapegoat.

**  
**And why _not_? It was so easy to blame everything, even ones own faults, on someone else. In this case on Ranma. For by blaming their problems on the Saotome youth _they_ did not have to invest the necessary energy to solve them. But from what Ranma had told her, Ryoga, the lost boy of all people, had discovered that that was not a way to solve ones own problems and faults. He had done so with help, help from Akari, but that was beside the point. Why could her little sister, even with all the help from her, not do the same thing? Maybe because she and even her father had gotten so used to blame Ranma for everything, as it was an easy way to keep a clear conscience and wash their hands of their faults?

**  
**Granted, the pigtailed martial artist had brought his own bout of chaos with him, but he always gave his utmost to ensure that no one came to harm. And he always succeeded. But still they and foremost Akane blamed him for everything. Kasumi was only glad that things regarding Ryoga were looking up now, and the oldest Tendo daughter was very happy that he had overcome his infatuation with her little sister.

**  
**Kasumi had nearly squealed with joy when Ranma had related what Ryoga had said, and she was quite sure that they would never see P-chan again in the Tendo Dojo. Sure, Akane would be quite crestfallen when P-chan would not return to her any more, but she'd have to accept it. Ryoga was now happy with Akari, and even though she had hated what Ryoga had done in his cursed form, she was happy for him.

**  
**It nearly bettered her mood when she remembered what she had said to Akane when her younger sister had asked her if she had seen P-chan lately. Her answer had been "No, Akane, he has probably gotten lost for good and found his luck elsewhere. Maybe it is time to get a new pet, or you could start to be nicer to Ranma. After all, this also needs feelings like love and care."

**  
**But her sister had only snorted, and she could see in Akane's eyes that she still hoped P-chan would return to her. Though Kasumi knew better. If only Ranma's thoughts and feelings were as important to Akane as her 'pet' P-chan. If only she'd treat _Ranma_ better.

**  
**Kasumi sighed. It might look funny how Ranma rebounded every time he got hit by Akane's mallet or each time he tried her visibly toxic cooking, like some character out of an Anime show. But she feared the day when Ranma would not spring back up. For this was no Anime show, this was real life, where people _stayed _dead after they had died. And Kasumi knew that she would not be able to bear it should Ranma die. Especially not if he died because of the thoughtlessness of her own family.

**  
**The oldest Tendo daughter continued crying and thought about the situation at the same time. Ever since Tofu Ono had left Nerima, and to be honest even before, Kasumi had ultimately realised that the young doctor would never be able to act normally in her presence. They'd never be able to have a relationship, and like Ono, who had moved away because of it, she had accepted it.

**  
**Probably that was why she had begun to develop feelings of her own for Ranma after she had overcome her infatuation with the doctor. Because she had sensed another lonely soul, and this lonely soul that was Ranma was constantly under siege by so many different suitors, but in the end, he was ultimately alone, because no one cared for his wishes and dreams. His many suitors only wanted to possess him, to take him as a price. And his feelings and thoughts in the matter were apparently irrelevant.

**  
**It might have looked great for an outsider how Ranma was constantly chased by all those beautiful women, but Kasumi knew that he felt like a man who was trapped in a golden cage. Trapped due to giri because of his greedy, stupid and irresponsible father. A father who obviously only wanted to enjoy his 'well deserved' retirement, and that at the cost of his sons' happiness.

**  
**And ever since she had realised just how much more there was to Ranma than met the eye upon first look, she had wished that she could somehow help him. Make it all better for him, show him that there was someone who cared for him and for what he hoped, wished and dreamed. But she had sworn to herself that she would not act on her feelings, not as long as there was a chance for Ranma with Akane. And she would stay true to her own word. She would help Ranma to find his happiness.

**  
**Even though she had sworn this to herself Kasumi still wished nothing more than to be able to comfort the young man after he had received yet another beating at her sister's hands. Not to comfort him like a mother or sister would do, but like a friend, potentially more. She had hugged Ranma as a friend who comforted another friend many times now, and it had felt so good.

**  
**The oldest Tendo sister wanted to tell him that everything would gonna be alright, that the pain and suffering he went through on a daily basis was not in vain and that he should not give up hope. That everything would turn out good in the end.

**  
**But lately she had seen it in his eyes, the mounting look of hopelessness and despair. He would not put up with all the crap that was heaved upon him for much longer. Little did Kasumi know how true this was, and that Ranma had already taken steps in this regard.

**  
**Shaking herself out of her musings and wiping her tears away while removing any evidence that she had cried as best as she could, Kasumi saw Ranma-onna staggering into the kitchen, holding her obviously hurting head. That was obviously why it had taken Ranma so long to come out of the pond. She had apparently taken a really hard hit. "Oh my, you should better lie down upstairs, Ranma. You don't look too good. Come, you can lie down on the bed in my room, it is much more comfortable than the futon in yours."

**  
**All protests coming from Ranma were waved aside by the serenely smiling Kasumi (although she had to force it), and finally Ranma gave in. After all, she _had_ received a really hard hit this time, and her head _really_ hurt like hell.**  
**Staggering upstairs and opening the door with the duck-shaped sign that said 'Kasumi', Ranma entered the room and promptly lay down on the immaculate bed without a glance at her surroundings. She closed her eyes. The only thing she wanted to do was rest for a few moments.

**  
**A minute later Kasumi entered the room with some wet washcloths. Applying one to Ranma's forehead she sat down at Ranma's side. The cursed martial artist sighed. She felt tired, _really _tired, more so than in a very long time. Even during this one time when her father had deprived her of sleep to enable her to fight even when fatigued she had not felt so exhausted.

**  
**This exhaustion ran deeper, for it was not a physical, but an emotional exhaustion. She had once read about it in one of the books Kasumi had given her and knew it was called 'Combat fatigue', a syndrome often displayed by soldiers in wars. And lately more than ever Ranma really felt that she was constantly under attack from all sides.

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist sighed once more and opened her eyes. "Kasumi, _why_ does Akane _hate_ me so much?"

**  
**Kasumi felt like crying again. The hurt and sadness in Ranma's voice were nearly too much for her. But for Ranma's sake she had to remain strong. "Ranma-kun, Akane does not hate you. She really does care deeply for you."

**  
**Ranma sighed, this time even deeper. "She sure's hidin' it well, Kasumi. Very well. Regardless what I do, she _always_ hits me 'n insults me. Even when I'm nice to her. Heck, 'specially when I'm nice to her. If I say something nice to her, she turns it into something sick 'n twisted. All the training you have given me, and what good did it do with Akane? Nuthin', Kasumi. Nuthin' at all."

**  
**Kasumi could empathise how Ranma was feeling. But she had to know if there was still hope for her sister. "Ranma, what about _your_ feelings? Do you _love_ Akane?" she asked bluntly.

**  
**Ranma locked her blue eyes on Kasumi's brown ones. That was no easy question. Not any more. "You know, Kasumi, at Jusendo, after I had killed Saffron, but seemingly too late to safe her, I held her in my arms and she closed her eyes and died. Then, at this moment, when I saw her lying in the peace and serenity of death, so relaxed and beautiful, I really _thought_ that I loved her. Heck, I'm not even sure what love _is_! Baka oyaji sure never taught me. But at that one moment, you know, I felt such a bottomless pain when I felt I had lost Akane. I felt like the world had stopped. At that moment I _thought_ I was in love with her, and I think I even said it. I yelled at the heavens for her to come back to me. Now I'm not so sure any more. Come on, I mean regardless how much I try to be nicer to her, she _always_ suspects me to have some ul... ulte... what was that word again?"

**  
**Kasumi smiled. Ranma _had_ improved tremendously in the past months. The others did not know or care, and only Akane and Mr. Saotome had objected to Ranma spending time with Kasumi for tutoring. Akane still did because she was obviously _very_ jealous that Ranma spent so much time with her sister and thought he'd try to lead her on, and Mr. Saotome grumbled steadily how useless this tutoring was because he regarded everything besides the Art as useless. But Ranma's mother had put her foot down and had quietened those two. Although she had had to repeat it to drive the point home.

**  
**Ranma on his part had done everything he could to convince Akane that he was doing nothing 'perverted' with her older sister, but it was obvious to anyone that Akane did not trust him. At Jusendo, after he had killed Saffron for her he'd thought that she'd finally trust him. After all, he'd killed for her to save her. But what trust she may have had in him evaporated apparently in the weeks after the failed wedding, when Shampoo and Ukyo had once more tried to claim him. And that harder than ever.

**  
**And Akane, always quick to be jealous and angry had thought he'd lead them on, regardless how much he had said he didn't. Thus her behaviour had degraded to worse levels than ever before, and now she did not trust him at all. Because all was Ranma's fault due to the fact that he always led the others girls on and did nothing to solve this mess regarding the engagements. And Akane really hated how her rivals were hanging all over Ranma and how he was leading them on and doing perverted things with them, in her opinion.

**  
**But despite all that Ranma _had_ improved his behaviour. The oldest Tendo sister had never told Ranma, but she believed that the martial artist was _very_ intelligent. This thesis was supported by the fact that Ranma learned new martial arts techniques inhumanly fast. That he had been so bad in school had everything to do with lack of interest and probably lack of sleep and nothing with lack of intelligence, but in the last three months Kasumi had been able to cure him of that 'disease' mostly. The result had been raised hopes.

**  
**As for learning, the oldest Tendo daughter had simply used Ranma's inability to refuse a challenge he'd benefit from against him and had made him read as many dictionaries and even other, school related books as he could get hold of. He had grumbled in the beginning, but then his interest had been peaked. And she, having been the best of her class at all times even till graduation had really liked to tutor him. It had really made fun and still did.

**  
**And the success had soon shown itself, as Ranma, not to be bested in anything he regarded as a challenge had applied his Chestnut-fist speed and had created Chestnut-fist speed-reading. His vocabulary and overall performance had improved immensely. And it had also cured the infamous 'Saotome food-in-mouth-disease'. Sure, he still needed help from time to time, but he even knew how to use the 'big words' now and knew what they meant. He also did better in math and other school subjects he had not had much interest for before.

**  
**Aside from Kasumi and Nodoka nobody seemed to care or even acknowledge this, but Kasumi knew that the praise she gave Ranma meant a lot to the pigtailed martial artist. She could always see it in his eyes, how the gleam in them increased when she praised him for a job well done.

**  
**Though she knew that it would have meant very much to him had _Akane_ given him a compliment for once. From her Ranma really only received insults and mistrust lately, and even Kasumi did not know why. She suspected it _could_ have something to with the fact that Ranma was chased by Shampoo and Ukyo more than ever in addition to the fact that he spent so much time with her lately, but that was ridiculous. Kasumi was sure that she had hid her feelings perfectly.

**  
**And Akane had often, when she had hammered Ranma lately, accused him of trying to lead _her_, Kasumi, on too. Which was utterly ridiculous. Ranma had always been the perfect gentleman during the tutoring, even when he had been in female form. It was a fact that her little sisters' behaviour had gotten increasingly worse ever since after Jusendo and the failed wedding. But it was idiotic to be jealous because of the tutoring Ranma received. Her sister could not be _that _blinded by her jealousy and anger, could she? **'No,'** Kasumi mused to herself, **'that can't be it.'**

**  
**These thoughts had run through her mind within seconds, and thus Kasumi was not delayed in her answer to Ranma's question. "What you mean is probably 'ulterior', Ranma." she answered.

**  
**Ranma-onna nodded from her position on the bed, taking a new washcloth from Kasumi. "Yeah, that. Ulterior. She always thinks I have an ulterior motive. That I'm doing something perverted. And she constantly clobbers me! In spite of the efforts I make to be nicer to her, to avoid insulting her, to make her compliments, she _still_ seems to mallet me wherever I am and whatever I do. Heck, I have the feeling the better I treat her the worse she treats me! Even last week, when it was admittedly a bit better than usual, she still malleted me! She has even malleted me four times two weeks ago before I even _saw_ her approaching me! What 'perverted deed' should I have done then? Breathed? And when I asked her why the heck she did it she malleted me some more! Apparently for good measure or sumthin'! Heck, I'll be getting bonus miles soon thanks to all the trips with Mallet Airs I 'undertook' lately. And it ain't freakin' funny!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Kasumi wiggled a finger. "Your language, Ranma-kun."

**  
**Ranma smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Kasumi. But as said, she _always_ accuses me of leading the other girls on, even though I gave Shampoo the cold shoulder ever since the wedding and treated Ukyo visibly only as a friend. Heck, I did not even talk to Shampoo once after the failed wedding, except in one-word-sentences. I never ate at the Nekohanten or Ucchans' and even _bought_ my okonomiyakis from Ukyo, but what does Akane do? She accuses me that I'd do something perverted with them! And she's so damned jealous even though she ain't got no reason! It's not fair, it's just not fair, Kasumi! But to answer your question, I think I once loved her deeply. But whatever love I may have felt or still feel, it is dying. With each mallet-strike and insult it dies some more."

**  
**Kasumi nodded solemnly. She had suspected something like that. And although her heart soared for a moment at the prospect that Ranma might decide to cancel the engagement to Akane, which might give _her_ a chance, an equally big part of her felt sad for her sister. A sister who was apparently too stupid to see what a treasure Ranma really was.

**  
**But her sisterly duty demanded of her that she'd convince Ranma to give it one more chance. "Ranma, I _know_ how hard it is for you, but please, for Akane's sake, give it one more try."

**  
**There, she had said it. Ever since she had discovered her own developing feelings for the pigtailed martial artist she had felt that she could be betraying her sister in some way. For _she_ was Ranma's iinazuke. But with each passing month the resolve faltered when she had had to witness the constant abuse Ranma had to endure and still endured. By convincing Ranma to give Akane one last chance she felt that she had not betrayed her sister. She _had_ done her sisterly duty. Now it was in the hands of the Kami. For her father and 'uncle' Saotome were surely no help, more the contrary.

**  
**And Kasumi did not understand _why_ Ranma did not receive even an inkling of help from his father. It was blatantly obvious that Genma Saotome wanted to use his son to get his early retirement through the marriage of Akane and Ranma. For then both would inherit the Dojo and Genma would be able to manage the Dojo's finances, what with Ranma and Akane both being legal minors. Yes, that would probably be much to the fat pandas' liking.

**  
**Kasumi would never have said it out loud, but Genma Saotome was a lazy idiot. Just like regarding everything the fat man did, he did not invest energy to make it work. And by leaving all the work to Ranma, like he apparently always did, he literally put Ranma between a rock and a hard place. Like he had already so often in the past.

**  
**Ranma looked at the eldest Tendo daughter with sad eyes once more. Fact that nearly caused Kasumi to act on the impulse to hug the cursed martial artist tightly. "You know, Kasumi, it is kinda ironic. I had a talk like that with Ryoga when we met, the talk I told ya of. With _Ryoga_ of all people! And _he_ understood me! You know what? I promised on my honour as a martial artist that I would give the whole thing one more month to work out. With Ryoga as my witness. That I didn't tell ya. Now all that is left is one more week. I have tried everything in my book to make this relationship work, but I'm tired of it, Kasumi, so tired. Ya know, sometimes I think Akane 'n me are like fire 'n oil, reason why it might never work out..." she mused, trailing off.

**  
**Kasumi smiled softly and stroked Ranma's shoulder. At first, Ranma was surprised at the sudden touch and flinched back automatically, as if in fear of getting hit. Then she slowly relaxed and actually seemed to enjoy it. **'Oh my, Akane, what have you done? Ranma can't even endure a simple touch without flinching back. Is this engagement really worth _that_? Do we really have to sacrifice a young man's happiness to fulfil fathers' dream of the Joining of the schools?'** she asked herself. "Ranma-kun, could you answer me a question?"

**  
**Ranma slowly opened her eyes. "I'll try, Kasumi."

**  
**The oldest Tendo sister smiled. "That is all I ask. For there is one thing I'd like to know: why do you allow Akane to hit you? From what you told me of Jusendo you killed a god, Ranma. And I know just how good you are, I have seen it many times. So, why do you let Akane hit you all the time?"

**  
**The cursed martial artist thought a moment before answering. "You're right, Kasumi. I'm really, _really_ good. Maybe on my way to become the strongest there is. But Akane's mallet is _more_ than just that. It is no ordinary mallet, it is a ki-manifestation. As she needs only a tenth of a second to form the mallet and strike me, I do not have enough time to react. Well, not at all times. Sometimes she manages to surprise me and scores a good hit. As for why I _allow_ her to let off her steam at me in the other cases, well, think about it. What if I countered her attacks at any given time, aside from those that happen too fast? What would happen then? She would get frustrated and might even hit Nabiki, my mom or even _you_, Kasumi. And that is a risk I can not take. I am the strongest around, thus I'm the 'buffer'. I don't even want to think what would happen if Akane hit _you_... or one of the others."

**  
**Kasumi's heart soared once more at the obvious care in his tone when Ranma had mentioned her. "I understand, Ranma-kun." was the only thing she managed to say.

**  
**Ranma managed a weak smile and sighed once more. "I am just _so_ tired, Kasumi. Tired of the everlasting suspicion Akane puts me under, the constant malletings, the endless insults. And she _never ever_ listens to my side of the story, and if she does, she only thinks I'm trying to excuse some perversity. And the _worst_ of all, she never seems to trust me! And I killed a freakin' god for her, for Kami-samas sake! What do I hafta do ta gain her trust? Become a Kami? Sorry, no can do."

**  
**She sighed once more, really deeply. "You know, after Jusendo Ryoga and even Mousse, to a certain degree, have begun to treat me better. With Ryoga I'm even approaching something I'd call friendship once more. Akari is really good on him." she said smiling. But the smile faded soon. "The only one who remains unaffected despite all that has happened is Akane. Heck, she's not only unaffected by the whole change in dy... dyn... help me for a sec."

**  
**Kasumi smiled. "What you mean is probably 'dynamics', Ranma."

**  
**The pigtailed girl nodded. "Yeah, that. Akane, she remains fully unaffected by the change in dynamics. She still treats me worse than garbage, and that after I killed for her! Akane is so damned jealous and always seems to be angry at me lately, and I don't know why or what I can do against it! Regardless how cautious I am not to make her jealous, regardless how good I treat her, there always happens something that causes Akane to blow her top and mallet me. Even if it ain't my fault! And the old men with all their harpings and idiotic schemes sure don't help! I don't know how much longer I can go on, Kasumi. I give her one week, not more. One week for Akane and me to solve this mess..." she finished in a tired voice.

**  
**Kasumi smiled at her, although the dead-line came as a surprise to her. It seemed as if Akane was on probation, and she did not even know it. And that was probably better so, else little sis would really blow her top, as would her father and 'uncle'. But to be honest, Kasumi could not take Ranma's decision amiss. Not after how they had treated him here.

**  
**But like always, she had to pretend and smile for the sake of the family. Although the smile had become an increasingly tired one. Inwardly Kasumi asked herself when it would fall off her face. "I am sure everything will work out, Ranma. Have faith." she said. Inwardly her mental gears were grinding. Those news were really interesting. So her sister had only one more week to make it work. Her resolve grew. In this one week she would do everything in her might to help Ranma and Akane.

**  
**Then, when she had really done everything she could put her conscience to rest. Should it not work out between Akane and Ranma despite her efforts, she would take a chance and show him her feelings. Hopefully Ranma would respond. "I am sure Akane will soon come to see what a fine catch you are, Ranma."

**  
**Ranma only snorted. Sure, and cows would learn how to fly under their own power. No, she doubted that Akane would leave one good hair on her, but she would, as she had promised, give it her all. After all, her word was the only thing that held meaning beside the Art and her love for her mother. Formerly her love to Akane had also belonged into this category...

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
**Speaking of the devil, Akane had just finished her training in the dojo when she noticed that the first floor was empty. Not that she was interested in what the pervert was doing, far from it, but she had to ensure that he did not molest her sister. It had been proven time and time again after the failed wedding that he could not be trusted. She might love him, but he made her so angry and so jealous! And he was a pervert.

**  
**And he might protest as much as he wanted, but there existed enough proof that he _was_ leading Ukyo and Shampoo on. Else he would have resolved the engagement mess a long time ago. No, he probably enjoyed it how the girls were hanging all over him, and especially Shampoo with her ample assets. The pervert probably loved it how she pressed her bust-line against his body. It made her so angry! And, she had to admit to herself, jealous too.

**  
**The thought alone how Shampoo pressed herself against Ranma and how he squirmed in her hugs and rubbed against her body caused Akanes blood to boil.Add to it that Ranma had claimed he had avoided those two like the plague. How come that Shampoo had always told her a different story? Each time she had met the Amazon as of late she had said that her Airen had just left. Which had made her somewhat suspicious, as _Shampoo_ had been the one who had claimed this. But lately she had seen so many examples of Ranma's unfaithfulness with the other girls, which made it credible again. No, he was not to be believed.

**  
**Thus she went upstairs to check if someone was there and began checking the rooms. Untold what the pervert could do when he was alone in the house with her sister. What with his talent at entrancing women she had to protect her sweet and innocent sister. **'Hmm, his own room is empty, as is Nabiki's. Hmm, maybe he is in Kasumi's... nah.'**

**  
**In spite of her thoughts she opened the door to the room of her oldest sister, and what she saw incensed her instantly. There was the pervert, lying on her sisters' bed of all people! Probably doing something _really_ perverted!**  
**She did not notice that Kasumi was sitting beside Ranma with a washcloth nor did she notice that Ranma was in female form. All that counted to the Akane-logic-system was: Ranma plus in Kasumi's room equals HENTAI. Nobody entered the room of her sweet and innocent sister without paying the price!

**  
**Akane did also not notice that Kasumi had jumped up and yelled for her to stop, all that she noticed was the red haze before her eyes and the weight of the mallet in her right hand. And her target. The Akane-targeting-system locked unerringly on Ranma, and everything else was blinded out.

**  
**The scream "RANMA NO HENTAI!" followed, and said mallet was brought down on Ranma's frame seconds later with full force, driving her through the bed and destroying said bed and a good portion of the flooring in the process. Ranma had had no chance to react at all, she been _much_ too surprised. And Kasumi had had no other chance but to jump out of the way or risk getting clobbered too.

**  
**Slowly the haze in front of Akane's eyes retreated, and she noticed her sister for the first time. Hah! She _had_ been right! Ranma _had_ wanted to molest her sister! Her sister would be glad that she had saved her. Her sister would... but one moment... why did Kasumi look _anything_ but happy?

**  
**Kasumi was_ indeed_ anything but happy. The otherwise so serene woman was quite furious with her little sister. But before Kasumi could give her sister a piece of her mind a weak moan came from the destroyed bed. "Ooohh... what did ya do that for, ya stupid uncute tomboy?" Ranma-onna complained, holding her hurting head..

**  
**Akane glowed red with rage once more and was about to give Ranma another malleting when Kasumi stopped her. "That will be enough, young lady. Are you completely out of your mind?"

**  
**The force of Kasumi's otherwise so caring and serene voice was enough to stop Akane dead in her tracks, and she just stared at her sister uncomprehending. The pervert had entered her sisters' room; he had to be punished for this iniquity! "B... but he..." was all Akane could sputter before she was stopped by a stern glance from Kasumi. And a stern glance from a woman who had never shown anger before had so much more effect and stopped the youngest Tendo daughter once more in her tracks.

**  
**The whole action had caused quite a racket, and Nodoka, who had been on her way back from grocery shopping (she had had to buy them herself after Akane had bought the wrong ingredients and spices yesterday), came in running. She barely had the time to put down her shopping when she heard the yelling. **'Kami-sama, what has happened now?'** was the thought that ran through Nodoka Saotomes' mind when she ran upstairs.

**  
**She nearly stopped cold when she heard Kasumi, Kasumi of all people raise her voice. What could have happened to make this paragon of a traditional Japanese woman and the decal of peace and quiet angry?

**  
**Gathering her bearings Nodoka hastily entered what obviously was Kasumi's room. What greeted her was the sight of her son-turned-daughter lying in a heap amongst a destroyed bed. "What has happened here?" Nodoka asked.

**  
**Akane glowered again. She felt that she had done nothing wrong. "Ask the pervert! He was molesting my sister!" she yelled in what she felt was righteous outrage.

**  
**Nodoka however decided to get an idea of the situation herself. By asking her son-turned-daughter, and not the obviously enraged Akane. Enraged persons were, after all, not known for their objectivity. "Ranma, what has happened here?" she asked.

**  
**Said martial artist staggered unsteadily to her feet, and Kasumi was at her side in a flash. Fact that did not go unnoticed by Nodoka. Her eye-brow made a perfect Spock-manoeuvre, but otherwise she refrained from comment. Who knew, maybe Kasumi could become Ranma's mistress, and then...

**  
**The thought of all the grandchildren she would receive let her eyes glaze over for a second, and she returned to reality just in time to hear her son-turned-daughter's answer. "It all began when I tasted the food Akane had prepared. I had a... bad reaction to it, and Akane malleted me because of it."

**  
**At this, Nodoka sighed and Akane glowered even more. The Saotome matriarch shook her head. It had gone good for so long. "Go on, my child."

**  
**Ranma nodded, still holding her head. "One landing in the Koi-pond and a real nasty headache later I staggered into the house. Kasumi had the first aid kit ready, but then she said I did not look too good and she send me upstairs to lie down on her bed instead of my futon. She said it was more comfy than the futon, and she was right." Ranma said, and looked up at Kasumi, who was still keeping her steady. "Then she came with some cold washcloths to help my headache. Thanks for that, Kasumi. That was really nice." Ranma-onna said with a smile.

**  
**Akane glowered once more. "Stop flirting with my sister, you pervert! Isn't it enough that you're leading Ukyo and Shampoo on? And you're female to boot! Does your perversity know no bounds?" she accused.

**  
**Ranma sighed. Why was she so jealous and angry when she had no reason at all? Didn't she know how much she'd loved her, and maybe still did? Didn't she see that she was killing this love with her jealousy, anger and mistrust? And that although she had no reason at all? How often had she said that she had no interest in Ukyo or Shampoo? A zillion times, but apparently it was not enough.

**  
**Meanwhile Nodoka's eye-brow repeated the Spock-manoeuvre, but this time for different reasons. Had Akane listened to herself lately? Nodoka really wondered if the youngest Tendo daughter had taken her prescribed medication. And what was it with her fixation on perversity? Odd. "Akane, I do see nothing perverted in thanking someone. Do _you_?"

**  
**The youngest Tendo child sputtered, but no answer came forth. It was as Nodoka had thought, and slowly the Saotome matriarch wondered if Akane really was a suitable wife for her only son. She now had had many occasions to observe Akane, and ever since Ranma's other suitors had begun to show their interest in him again the youngest Tendo child had become progressively more angry and jealous. But instead of playing it cool and showing Ranma that she loved him and that she was the one for him she drove him away with her downright irrational behaviour.

**  
**No, the behaviour Akane had displayed in the last few months was not that of a mature woman, rather that of a very immature child that was used to having her way. Maybe that was why she could not deal with the concurrence Ukyo and this Shampoo girl presented. This bared watching. "Please proceed to tell, Ranma."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Of course, mother." she said, and Nodoka beamed at her child's improved manners. "As said, I was recovering from the mother of all headaches because of repeated blows to said head with the help of cold washcloths, and me and Kasumi talked. Then, out of nowhere, Akane came barging into the room and screamed "RANMA NO HENTAI!" and drove me through the bed with her mallet. Kasumi yelled for her to stop before she hit me, but she did not listen. And I was so surprised that I couldn't do anything. That's what happened."

**  
**Nodoka nodded, and moments later she fixed Akane with a steel glance. "Do you have an explanation for your behaviour, young lady? And it better be a good one!"

**  
**Akane turned red and sputtered. Then her shame turned into anger once more. After all, it was not her fault! "Why should _I_ explain myself? It's all the _perverts_ fault!" she yelled and stormed out of the room.

**  
**Kasumi bowed her head in shame of her younger sister's words and deeds, but tried to explain her behaviour nonetheless. "Akane is a really sweet girl, she only has a problem with her temper, Auntie." **'And her jealousy.'** she mentally added.** 'I'll have to check my books to find even stronger herbs for Akane. I promised myself to help Ranma and little sis, and I will give my all.' **

**  
**Nodoka looked at Kasumi with a steel glance, which faltered soon. After all, it was not Kasumis' fault. "That may be, but I'm beginning to doubt that Akane is the right choice as a wife for my child. As it is, after seeing her behaviour I'm really tempted to dissolve the engagement between Ranma and Akane on the spot." she said with a sigh and looked at her child, who was looking back with a sad expression.

**  
**Noticing that this was developing into a mother-child-talk Kasumi quietly and politely left the room. Ranma gave her a brief smile when she passed, and once again, Nodoka noticed. "But what of _your_ feelings, my child?" she then asked.

**  
**Ranma looked stunned for a moment. After all this time, finally someone was considering her feelings? "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my mother?" the cursed martial artist asked, keeping her voice straight.

**  
**Nodoka was flabbergasted. "Run that by me again, dear?"

**  
**Her son-turned-daughter smirked. "What I wanted to express with that is, that no one ever took the time to ask _me_ how I felt about the whole thing. Oyaji and Mr. Tendo would always try to pressure me 'n Akane into marrying, regardless how we felt, and even you supported the wedding-idea after Jusendo. That's why I'm surprised, mom. No one, not even _you_, considered _my_ feelings in the matter. Or Akanes'." she added as an afterthought.

**  
**Nodoka sighed. She gathered her inner strength for a moment and looked then directly into her son-turned-daughters´ eyes. To admit ones faults was not easy, but the ones strong of character did it when they knew that they were wrong. And she _had_ been wrong. "I know, child, and I'm extremely ashamed of that." she replied, bowing her head. Then she looked up again. "I was so fixated on the wedding," **'and on grandchildren'** she mentally added, "and I was so sure that you loved Akane that I never actually asked you what _you_ felt. Nor did I bother to ask Akane. But that little display Akane has given and her behaviour I have witnessed in the past months has caused me to doubt the wisdom of my actions. And the wisdom of your engagement to her as a whole if the outcome will be this." she said and pointed at the destroyed bed.

**  
**Ranma sighed and nodded. "I know, mom. It is hard for me to bear her anger and jealousy, and that although I ain't given her no reason to be angry 'n jealous at all. She sees how Shampoo glomps me 'n apparently things I enjoy it. But I _never_ do! You have no idea how often I've said her that I hate it! You know what she usually answers?" Her mother shook her head, and Ranma continued. "She says _'Then why didn't you solve this damned engagement mess you created?'_. Doesn't she understand that I don't want to hurt Ukyo and not even Shampoo? But when I said her that she answered _'Okay, if their feelings are more important than mine, fine!'_ and malleted me. Ever since then she does not even listen to me. But please, mom, give me this one week to try it one more time. I still have feelings for her."

**  
**Nodoka paused for a moment to think before answering. "I understand, my child. And the wedding and all what has happened after it up till now has shown me a lot of things that I hadn't bothered to think all the way through. The foremost and most essential is that _you_ should be the one to decide who you spend the rest of your life with and when you marry. It is _your_ life, Ranma, and you only have this one. And what _I_ think doesn't matter, and especially what Genma thinks or says is surely not important any more. Not after what he did. If you want one more chance with Akane, so be it. Know that I'll support you whatever you should decide. But don't you want to tell Akane that she is on probation?"

**  
**Her son-turned-daughter made a thoughtful face at hearing this. "Truth be told, mom, I stopped listening to anything the Panda had to say beside Martial Arts after Jusenkyo. Sometimes I think I should have stopped listening earlier.As for telling Akane, I don't think that would be good. She would feel pressured and might _act_ good, but not on her own accord. And she has to treat me good or even 'normal' on her own, or we'll never have a healthy, normal relationship. So please don't tell her either. If she can't..." Ranma-onna trailed off, looking sad.

**  
**Nodoka nodded, in spite of the jab against her husband she could not deny the truth behind her son-turned-daughters' statement. As well regarding her husband as Akane. "He surely has created a mess, hasn't he? But what about Akane? As for not telling her, I understand and support you. But do you love her?"

**  
**Ranma hesitated for a moment. "You know, mom, Kasumi asked me the same question." Spock-manoeuvre again. "I think I loved her once, but what with the constant malleting, her everlasting mistrust and her constant insults I must say that I don't know any more. I still have feelings for her, but all I know is that these feelings for Akane are slowly dying, bit by bit. And she does not seem to care, she even often told me that she hates me to my face. Add to it that I overheard her saying so on several occasions. Is that they way how someone acts who is supposedly in love with me? But I gave my word as a martial artist that I would give her this one month and this one more chance. Now all that is left is one week, and however it will turn out, I'll keep my word. She'll get this one week. But that Ryoga understood me…"

**  
**And thus Ranma began to tell her mother about her talks with Ryoga and Kasumi and about her feelings. She left nothing out, and when Ranma had ended Nodoka Saotome was really proud of her child. Ever since she had learned of the curse of her child, Nodoka had come to reconsider her view of manliness. A few talks with Kasumi, another traditional Japanese woman had brought the point home that her version of manliness was gravely outdated. Had she not already deemed the contract fulfilled, she would have torn it to pieces.

**  
**Besides, she had never actually wanted to hold Ranma to this promise. When her son had 'signed' the contract, he had been far too young to understand what it meant, and therefore she had never planned to hold her child to it. No, the contract had been made to keep Genma in line. Sadly, that had failed royally.

**  
**Ever since the talks with Kasumi she had refrained from harping constantly about Ranma being manly, and slowly but steadily the relationship between mother and child had improved. Now she really did not care any more if her child was manly, as long as she would get lots and lots of grandchildren. And if Akane should really prove to be unsuitable as a wife, who knew, maybe Kasumi would prove to be the one. It also seemed that Kasumi did not have any problems with her childs' curse. The same thing could obviously not be said about Akane...

**  
**Nodoka sighed. "I know it is hard, my child, but I fear that you must do what giri demands, Ranma. If things won't work out with Akane we will find another way. Together."

**  
**Ranma nodded. It all came back to giri, and she accepted this. They had to save what was left of the family honour. But she had a request to make of her mother. "Mom, could you do me a favour?" she asked.

**  
**Nodoka looked at her child with a smile. "Of course, dear."

**  
**The Saotome youth smiled back. "Mom, could you make sure that oyaji won't be able to interfere in the last week of the time limit I have set for Akane and me? If he and Mr. Tendo keep pestering me and Akane constantly it will _never_ work out. And despite all that has happened I _want_ it to work out. I have still feelings for Akane. Do you have an idea?"

**  
**Nodoka did not hesitate to answer. "Sure. Our house has been finished last week, and needs to be equipped. What do you say if I take Mr. Panda by the ear and set him on the task?"

**  
**Ranma smirked evilly. "That would be perfect! It would annoy him to no end and at the same time it would keep him out of our hair. Thanks, mom, you're the best!" she exclaimed and embraced her mother in a hug, which was returned with equal force.

**  
**It all would be decided within a week...

**  
**Later that evening Nabiki had tried to charge Ranma for the destroyed bed. She had seen the destruction and had wrongly guessed it to be Ranma's fault.

**  
**Boy had she been wrong. And surprised to boot, when her older sister had related the story of how Akane had behaved. She had been nearly astonished when Kasumi had said that it all had been Akanes' fault. And that with force and in a tone that bordered on anger. Which had been very surprising to Nabiki, because she had _never_ seen Kasumi angry.

**  
**This time Nabiki had gleefully charged her own little sister for a destroyed item, even if it would cost Akane the savings of a few months. It had been the first time ever that someone else beside Ranma had been charged since the Saotome youth had arrived, and it made the youngest Tendo angry once more.

**  
**In her book, _everything_ was Ranma's fault. Had he not been such a pervert and made her so angry and jealous nothing would have happened. Why did he have to lead her own sister on? Were Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi not enough? Anyway, the youngest Tendo continued smouldering.

**  
**Soun and Genma had returned a while later, drunken as lords. Upon seeing his 'baby girl' all upset Soun had sobered enough to employ his demon-head technique to make her 'ungrateful fiancé', who had returned to male form, apologise.

**  
**His demon-head had however disappeared like a snowball in hell when he had heard a specific sound. A sound that usually drove his friend Genma up the wall.

**  
**SHING. That, incidentally is the sound of a katana being drawn by the resident katana-lady. And Nodoka had steel in her hands as well as in her eyes. For her patience with the old men was running thin _very_ rapidly. In her book it was high time that Akane was held on to being nicer to her son more forcefully. And it was Soun's job to do so.

**  
**Thus a verbal tongue-lashing from Nodoka for Soun Tendo for neglecting his duties as a father had followed, and afterwards said Soun Tendo had been reduced to the physical size of a mouse, metaphorically speaking.

**  
**And when Genma had tried to help his friend Nodoka had gleefully given _him_ a tongue-lashing too, even if out of general principles. What with Genma and his idiocy, some reason or the other could always be found with utmost ease. And Nodoka _still _did not know about the Neko-ken...

**  
**To get the Panda out of the house after that had been easy. All it had taken was a show of naked steel, and Genma had been quick to obey. After Soun Tendo had lost his co-conspirator he had also lost a lead he could follow and a good portion of his backbone. Which made him essentially harmless. Fountain-sama had then erupted into a torrent of tears and had lamented that the schools would now never be joined.

**  
**Finally they called it a night, and Ranma had, for the first time since long the guest room to himself. Sleep did however not come easily to him this night. Not that he missed the baka panda, far from it, but he kept on asking himself if what he still felt for Akane was enough.

**  
**His thoughts started to spin around, and slowly sleep claimed the pigtailed martial artist.

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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**  
**


	4. Amazon Incidents and boiling tempers don...

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 4: Amazon Incidents and boiling tempers don't mix**

**  
**The first morning after Genma's 'exile' went by quite well. No insults, no malletings, no accusations. Another reason for that was last but not least the verbal tongue lashing Akane had received as well from Nabiki as Kasumi. They had obviously made quite an impression on the youngest Tendo.

**  
**And it had been one hell of a talk between the sisters after Ranma's parents had left. Kasumi and Nabiki had literally dragged Akane to Nabiki's room, and the middle Tendo had even activated her recording devices. Sipping her morning tea Kasumi remembered yesterdays' conversation.

**  
_Flashback_**

**  
**_Kasumi had turned towards her youngest sister. Akane had been seated on the bed, and she had still looked stubborn, but her anger had evaporated somewhat after three cups of Kasumis' special tea."Sis, do you know why you're here?" she had asked._

_**  
**Akane had looked angry. "Because of the pervert. It's all his fault!"_

_**  
**Nabiki had directed a cool glance at Akane, one of those that said I can see your soul. "And how is it Ranma's fault? Oh, let me guess... because he led Kasumi on like he supposedly does with Shampoo and Ukyo?" she had asked sarcastically._

_**  
**Akane had of course noticed the sarcasm, but she had had to defend her world-view. "Yeah. He always has those floozies hanging off of him. And he is such a pervert! That all makes me so angry!" she had replied, of course, angrily._

_**  
**Nabiki had smirked. "And jealous, little sis?"_

_**  
**The youngest Tendo had nodded unconsciously. "Ye... no! Why should I care about the baka pervert?"_

_**  
**Before Nabiki could answer, Kasumi inserted her own thoughts. "Why do you still think that Ranma is a pervert? Hasn't he proven time and time again that he is not like the boys you had to defend against? Hasn't he risked his own life more often than one can count?"_

_**  
**"And hasn't he even killed for you to save you, little sis? What more proof of his trustworthiness do you need? Heck, he killed a freaking god for you, for Kami-samas sake!" Nabiki had said, and she had nearly lost her icy composure. The middle Tendo daughter had come to know the whole story due to her listening devices, and Kasumi had confirmed that the story was indeed true. Ranma **had** killed to save Akane. And a god to boot._

_**  
**Akane however was not having any of it. "And I trusted him after that. I really did. I even really wanted to marry him, despite the fact that we were being pushed into it. But what good did that trust do me? After the wedding ended up in smoke those floozies began to throw themselves at him again. And he did and does **nothing** against it. How should I trust someone, the man I wanted to marry to boot, if he does not defend my honour? All he'd have to do was to solve this mess by taking a stand!" she had angrily exclaimed._

_**  
**Kasumi had shaken her head sadly. "Did you ever take **his** feelings into account, Akane? Maybe Ranma did and does nothing because he does not want to hurt either Ukyo or Shampoo."_

_**  
**Before Akane had been able to retort Nabiki had added "See it this way. If he takes a stand, as you dubbed it, and dissolves all other obligations besides the one with our family, what would happen? I'll give you the answer, even free of charge. Today's my nice day." she had smirked. "First, Ukyo has an equally strong claim on Ranma as you. Would he dissolve the engagement, the Kuonjis would be entitled to declare a blood feud onto the Saotome clan. Nice, huh? And second, as for Shampoo, I know some of their laws. Should she fail in her quest to win Ranma, she will be punished severely."_

_**  
**Akane had shrugged. "Serves the floozy right."_

_**  
**The middle Tendo had fixed her younger sister with a stare. "Does it now? So do you really want to see Shampoo **dead**? Or trapped as a cat for the rest of her life? For that is what would happen. **That** is the punishment for failure in the Joketsuzoku tribe, and I doubt that even Cologne could do anything about it. She as one of the Elders would have to abide by their rules, as much as it would hurt her. And you know Ranma. Do you think he would let that happen? He who can't leave a kitty in a tree?" Then she had smirked as she had remembered Ranma's reactions towards cats. "Okay, bad example, but you catch my drift. Do you see now why he is so reluctant to solve this mess?"_

_**  
**Akane had nodded slowly. "I understand that now. But it does not change that he is the biggest pervert ever. And perverts can never be trusted. They have to be punished." she had said stubbornly and with conviction._

_**  
**"But why do you see him as a pervert, Akane? Why don't you trust him?" Kasumi had asked._

_**  
**And with that a long talk about trust and perversity had begun, and sadly, just like Kasumi had expected not even she and Nabiki had been able to convince Akane that Ranma was no pervert. Or that she could trust him. In her opinion there was just too much proof that he was and untrustworthy pervert. And due to her experiences she had made with the Hentai Horde and Tatewaki Kuno, which had really screwed up her perceptions, Akane had not been able to accept what her sisters had tried to tell her._

_**  
**Inwardly Kasumi feared that Akane would never be able to trust any male because of the hellish experiences she had made with the Hentai Horde. Maybe it was time to convince their father that Akane needed professional help to overcome these nightmarish experiences. The oldest Tendo daughter had shuddered when she had thought about how a group of at least one hundred hormonal driven boys had attacked her sister every morning. She supposed that would drive anyone to not trust males._

_**  
**And a boy who was to become her husband, and who was **allowed** to do 'perverted' things with her was so much worse, Kasumi mused. Add to it that Akane had never overcome what she had felt as a betrayal of her trust in Ranma when she had found out that the girl she had wanted to befriend had really been a boy. And a boy who then became her iinazuke to boot._

_  
In the end Nabiki and Kasumi **had** been able to convince Akane to be nicer to Ranma, and the convincing argument had been, that Akane could not afford to treat Ranma like she had in the past, now that she was on probation. The point had been driven home that Akane had to give her all too if she wanted to have any chance at a relationship with Ranma. And that she wanted one despite her own denials was quite obvious. _

_**  
**Akane had grudgingly accepted, but Kasumi had seen that stronger calming herbs would still be needed. Badly. Her sisters' temper had always been a problem ever since their mother had died, and maybe it might prove to be her downfall…_

**  
_End Flashback_**

**  
**Breakfast was just over, and Akane had decided to go on a shopping trip through the local mall with her friends Yuka and Sayuri. This suited Ranma just well, as he still wanted and needed time to himself for some serious thinking.

**  
**The oldest Tendo daughter for her part felt that she really had done everything she could to give her sister a chance to achieve happiness with her iinazuke. "You only notice what you had when it's gone..." she mumbled to herself and sipped from the cup of Darjeeling tea, thinking that she was alone.

**  
**"Run that by me again?" a voice behind her suddenly said. Nabiki.

**  
**"Oh my, I didn't notice you, Nabiki. I was just hanging to my thoughts." the oldest Tendo daughter said.

**  
**Nabiki, who was holding a cup of coffee in her right hand, smirked. "I figured as much, sis. What did you mean by that?"

**  
**Kasumi looked her younger sister into the eyes. "I was just musing if we really have made it clear to Akane that she can't carry on the way she has. Auntie was _really_ upset with her, and you know as well as I do that little sis is on probation."

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter looked grim at hearing that. "And that's exactly what 'Princess' deserves after the stunt she pulled in your bedroom. Not even _I_ would have thought that one of her tantrums would go this far. And do you know how much it will _cost_ me?" she asked, sipping her coffee.

**  
**Kasumi shook her head and sipped her tea once more, and Nabiki steamed silently at the prospect of losing yen for any reason. "30,000 Yen for a new bed and 20,000 Yen for repairing the damage to the floor. 50.000 Yen ¹, Kasumi! Only to prove that Ranma is a pervert despite the fact that we," she looked at her sister, "know that he isn't. He would have had so many opportunities to peek at us or Akane, and he _never_ did. If anything, I'd say he was embarrassed when he saw me naked the times I walked in on him. No, he is no pervert. But he lives most definitely up to his name Ran Ma²." she said with a smirk.

**  
**"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed with a blush.

**  
'Thanks, Nabiki.'** Ranma thought to himself from his spot on the roof, while also blushing about the assessment of his endowment. **'Even if you don't know it, it means a lot.'**

**  
**When the blush had receded, Kasumi nodded and commented on what Nabiki had said. "Yes, but you saw that it is apparently not possible to convince our little sister that he is no pervert. You know as well as I do that she really hates boys, and that includes Ranma. And we both know why."

**  
**Now it was Nabiki's turn to nod. "Kuno-baby."

**  
**Kasumi nodded grimly, and Ranma nearly fell from the rooftop upon seeing this (for Kasumi) alien expression on her otherwise always so peaceful face. Still waters obviously really _did_ run deep. "Yes, Tatewaki Kuno. How he came up with the moronic idea of the morning fights I will never know. And that he had the gall to promise something that was never his to promise in the first place! He and his Horde of Hentais have caused a deep mistrust in Akane towards _all_ boys, and she will have a hard time to overcome it. Although I meanwhile doubt that she will _ever_ manage it on her own. But what little sister has yet to realise is, that Ranma is not like those boys at school. That we did not manage to convince her yesterday that Ranma is no pervert and is nothing like those boys does not bode well."

**  
**Her younger sister nodded. "Moronic, yeah, but it was also highly profitable. And you're right, Ranma is not like the other boys at school. He himself has a female body, and he sure knows what a bunch of perverts the other boys are. From the rumours I have heard apparently all too well. But you have _no_ idea how much money I made during the time of the morning fights."

**  
**Kasumi on the other hand sighed. "One time in your life you'll come to notice that money is not everything, Nabiki. Sure, it _is_ important and necessary, but you should not allow money to rule your life. Else you'll never find true happiness. But we digress."

**  
**Nabiki interrupted after she had placed her empty cup onto the ground, and she noticed that Kasumi did the same. "No, sis, we _don't_. You have no idea of what lengths I had to go to in order to keep the dojo afloat. Had it been for dad, they would have liquidated the dojo a long time ago. And then came the two freeloaders a year ago."

**  
**At hearing this, Ranma, still perched on his spot on the roof, felt a jab to his heart. But he decided to hear the whole story before judging Nabiki and listened intently. **'Man, it is a time of revelations.'** he thought to himself as he listened in as Nabiki continued.

**  
**"What with what Ranma and the Panda can pack away, I had to find other ways to keep us afloat, as you well know. I'm only glad that Ranma never found out that I sold the pictures of his female half, and occasionally of his male half too on demand. Kuno always paid good money for pics of his pigtailed Goddess, and even if I still regret it, I _had_ to do it. I realise that Ranma and almost everybody else must think me a money grubber and an extortionist, but that is the price that I must pay to keep the family going." she said with a sigh.

**  
**Kasumi smiled a warm smile at her sister when Nabiki had ended and embraced her in a comforting hug. And despite her title as the Ice-queen she let herself be hugged. Fact that astonished the still roof-sitting Ranma. "I _know_ what you had to do for the sake of the family. Believe me, sis, I do." Kasumi said. "But what _you_ don'tknow is that _Ranma_ knows too. He found out a long time ago that you sold pictures of his female half to Kuno and the other perverts. He also found out _why_ you did it, and in order to help, he _allowed_ that pictures of his female half were being made, as long as they were not _too_ revealing. You see, only _one_ Saotome is a freeloader. But he surely makes up for Ranma too." she said in a voice approaching anger.

**  
**Nabiki appeared to be shell-shocked, and that she was too. And it was a new state of mind for her, the Ice-queen of Furinkan High. One she did not like at all. "How... how do you know that?"

**  
**The oldest Tendo daughter smiled once more. "Ranma told me. We have talked a lot ever since I have started his training and we also did before, and you would be surprised about the depth of Ranma's character. Think about it, Nabiki. Ranma is a trained martial artist, and one of the best at that. Ask yourself this: do you _really_ think it would not have been in his abilities to find the hidden cameras and remove them?"

**  
**Nabiki felt like smacking herself. "Of course! Now it makes sense. I always asked myself why it was such a walk-over to take pictures of Ranma. Saotome, I owe you." she said, and on the roof-top one Ranma Saotome blushed pleasantly. To hear those words from Nabiki's mouth of all people was like seeing lead turn to gold. Equally seldom.

**  
**Kasumi nodded. "But the best payment for Ranma would be if you'd treat him a bit nicer. He really makes an effort to be nicer to Akane, and I don't want you to jeopardise it. Ranma deserves happiness, and I hope he'll find it with Akane." she said.

**  
**Observant as she was, Nabiki heard the doubtful undertone. Silently she had to agree. If Akane did not stop acting like so angry and jealous and all around like a spoiled brat it might very well come to what Kasumi had silently said to herself. She however, for her part, would do her best to give Ranma and Akane a chance together. This she owed at least Ranma. Especially after what she had done before the wedding."I will, sis. You know the time when jiji used the strength sapping moxibustion on Ranma?"

**  
**Kasumi nodded, and Ranma, who was still hidden on the roof, listened with rapt attention. "Yes, Nabiki."

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter continued. "I don't know if you are aware of this, but in order to get the remedy for this Ranma came to me and asked me to take shots of his female form in panties and bra. And it embarrassed the heck out of Ranma. There and then I nearly gloated how the big macho squirmed while I made the shots, but over time I learned that Saotome is quite okay. Ever since your training he's become even tolerable. And he's definitely not what our sister accuses him off, and now it is up to Akane to prove that she can control herself enough to make it work between herself and Ranma. For what I've seen of Ranma, he's putting a Herculean effort into their relationship to make it work. I for my part won't interfere."

**  
**Kasumi nodded. "He's a fine young man when he's not a girl. And I'm glad that you came to realise it. We can only pray to Kami-sama that Akane will realise it too before it is too late." she said cryptically.

**  
**A couple of days passed and, for a while, things were really different. Ranma and Akane both really tried to get along with the other. Granted, Ranma had really tried beforehand, but now Akane tried too. She tried to keep her anger and jealousy under control, and aside from the odd temper-overboil, which was always instantly defused by the other two Tendo sisters, everything went well.

**  
**Though it was apparently very hard for Akane to keep her temper under control, which had forced Kasumi to spike her usual tea with even stronger calming herbs. She had never resorted to such measures regarding her younger sister in the past before last week, but she had sworn to give it her all. Kasumi wanted to give Ranma a chance with Akane, so that both could find their happiness. That she had to resort to such means did not burden her conscience at all, for it was for the greater good of her family and for Ranma's happiness. And if anyone deserved happiness after what he had been through, then Ranma.

**  
**Thus she used the knowledge she had gained through her studies of the medical books she had borrowed from Tofu Ono over time. Now, she was well-versed regarding the usage of herbs. Why should she not apply all this knowledge and do something useful with it? If the calming herbs were needed to curb the temper of her youngest sister, so be it.

**  
**Though her doubts remained. What was it for a relationship that could persist through the scrutinies of life if it needed cheating like calming herbs? And Kasumi still missed any sign of trust on Akane's part for her iinazuke. But without trust, which relationship could persist? Despite that Kasumi pushed her doubts aside for Ranma's sake and continued her unperceived help.

**  
**And it worked to a certain degree, as Akane was not as angry and jealous as before. Her temper was still there, though it did not erupt as easily as before. But not much was said between Ranma and Akane. Both tried to be polite to each other, but one could tell that Ranma as well as Akane were walking on eggshells. It was as if one was waiting for a temper-explosion, and the other for an act of perversity. And only time could tell if the bomb would tick off without exploding.

**  
**Though one part of the fuze had already been dealt with. Ukyo had really kept her distance after Ranma had said to her that he still only saw her as his best friend and always would. Repeatedly. And with Akane at his side to prove it to her. He did not know if Ukyo had accepted it, but at the moment he did not care that much. He wanted to make it work out with Akane. Everything else could be dealt with later. And maybe Ukyo had seen _how_ determined he had been.

**  
**But as so often, all good things must come to an end. And the reason for it was apparently that Shampoo had decided that Ranma had avoided her advances for far too long. Thus the Amazon had decided to claim her Airen once more with renewed vigour. The consequences of this visit would be far-reaching.

**  
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**  
**It was the second to last day Ranma had secretly granted Akane. It was a Saturday, and the Saotomes were visiting the Tendos. The day had started out beautiful, as a warm spring sun hung in a clear-blue sky. It was unnaturally peaceful for Nerima, which might have been a warning sign.

**  
**Anyways, after everything had progressed so nicely between Akane and Ranma, Soun had decided to invite Genma and Nodoka over to celebrate it over an afternoon tea and snacks.Thus the two old men were sitting at the Shogi board, while Ranma and Akane were training in the dojo. Nodoka was chatting with Nabiki, as Kasumi was in the cellar for some cleaning-duty.

**  
**Ranma and Akane had just returned from the dojo to chip in some snacks (the legendary Saotome appetite had reared its head) when all hell broke lose.The ringing of a bicycle bell was the first indicator that something was about to happen. The exclamation "NIHAO AIREN!" by you-know-who was much more explicit and announced impending disaster.

**  
**Seconds later Shampoo literally came through the wall, balancing bowls of ramen. "Shampoo bring too too good ramen. Airen take Shampoo on date now, yes?"she asked, smiling happily.

**  
**Everyone present blink-blinked. The Amazons had kept a relatively low profile for so long, except for the occasional glomping attempt and Mousse-related incidents. No poisons, no herbs, no drugs, as far as they knew. For over _three_ months it had been _almost_ quiet.

**  
**_Why_ could it not have lasted a tad bit longer? Not only Nodoka, who knew what was hanging in the balance, was asking herself this question. One more day, more would not have been necessary. Ranma could have decided without (much) interruptions if the engagement to Akane still had a chance. Why? Why had the Kami conspired against them?

**  
**Meanwhile Shampoo had set the bowls of ramen onto the counter, and a second later Ranma found himself at the receiving end of an Amazon glomp. "Damn, Shampoo, leggo off me!" Ranma exclaimed. But as he only had one possible escape route, namely pushing her _there_ in the chest, he could do nothing more than make his discomfort known verbally.Else Akane would have malleted him for sure, not to mention the other, more severe consequences…

**  
**Naturally this episode caused Akane's blood to boil with anger and jealousy which not even the effects of the calming herbs could counter, and she did not even hear Ranma's exclamation of discomfort. All that she saw was Ranma squirming in Shampoo's glomp.

**  
**Her trigger-happy temper reared its ugly head, and not even the herbs which had tamed her temper somewhat before could prevent this explosion. Everyone present watched in morbid fascination as the mallet appeared in her waiting hands. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, like in a bad dream.

**  
**Akane's battle aura flared red around her and even her eyes seemed to glow red, but instead of punting on the offending Amazon, Akane had her eyes set on the squirming Ranma. A Ranma who was apparently enjoying this Amazon glomp, gauging from how he rubbed against Shampoo's body.

**  
**She had been right and her sisters had been wrong! And everyone could see it! Ranma was nothing more than an unfaithful pervert! A pervert who had to be taught a lesson! **'So... he is _enjoying_ this, is he? Let's see how he'll enjoy THIS!'** she thought. "RANMA... NO... HENTAI!" she yelled and punted Ranma with a hard swing through the roof and into LEO.

**  
**Shampoo voiced everyone's thoughts, even if not as eloquent as most present would do.

"Why violent kitchen destroyer bash Airen into orbit? Has you eaten Super Soba Noodles again? Too too much male hormones in violent girl?" she asked with a teasing smirk.

**  
**Akane fumed. "What does a _bimbo_ like _you_ know? He was a pervert with you again, he _deserved_ it. And perverts can never be trusted, that's why they have to be punished!" she said with conviction, repeating the statement she had given in the talk with her sisters.

**  
**Shampoo was about to angrily retort, when she noticed that her Airen's mother Nodoka had obviously had enough. Ultimately. "No, you violent little girl, my son did _not_ deserve how you treated him. Did you not see his discomfort? Those are not the actions of someone who enjoys himself. No offence, young lady." she said towards Shampoo.

**  
**"Shampoo take none." the Amazon said happily, her anger at Akane put aside for the moment. She obviously enjoyed how her rival was being put down a peg or two by her Airen's mother. Little did the Amazon know that it would be more than just that.

**  
**Akane was now fuming even more. How _dare_ this mother of a pervert say something like that to her! She and a violent little girl? It had all been the perverts fault, and _she_ was being insulted because of what he had done? No way! "Who _are_ you to call _me_ a violent little girl? I am a woman, not a girl! And I'm sure as hell not violent! Take that back!" she exclaimed in unthinking anger, and even Soun Tendo, who had always had Akane-coloured glasses over his eyes ever since the death of his wife Kimiko, gasped.

**  
**Kasumi stood routed to the spot, her mouth gaping in disbelieve. Never would she have believed that her temper could drive Akane to be _this_ disrespectful towards a guest in general, and to the mother of her iinazuke in special. Sadly she shook her head. She had tried and given her all to ensure her sisters happiness, but she, Akane herself, had blown it. And there was nothing she could do or wanted to do to help her sister to get out of what was to come now.

**  
**Nabiki on her part was also visibly surprised that her sister had gotten so carried away. And about something that had not even been Ranma's fault to boot! She had been able to see it up close this time, and Ranma had _really_ not enjoyed the Amazon glomp at all. There had been nothing about his behaviour that could be labelled perverted, for he had only tried to get out of the glomp without pushing Shampoo in the chest. Which would have been the only escape route available. And she knew exactly why Ranma had not chosen to use it.

**  
**Slowly she came to share Kasumi's opinion that Akane needed professional help to deal with her temper and trust problems. As much as she would weep after the Yen it would cost, it was obviously very necessary. It was now clear as the water in the once more reestablished Koi pond that Akane was not able to tame her temper by herself, and even the herbs Kasumi had used were obviously not effective enough. No, something had to be done.

**  
**In the meantime Nodoka bristled visibly, and everyone watched. Especially Genma cringed back in anticipation of what was to come. He had seen his wife wear _this_ look before. It had _not_ been pretty. Not by a long shot. Silently he sent a prayer for Akane to Kami-sama. She would need it, for she had gone too far this time.

**  
**Genma Saotome had always feared that Akane's temper might prove to be a problem, and it seemed that he had been right. But where was the problem? Soun still had two other daughters. So no worries here, thought Genma. His retirement was assured.He would just have to take it slowly now and wait for the aftershock to pass.

**  
**Meanwhile Nodoka seemed to apply the soul of ice, for it grew progressively colder in the room. And then… "Who _I_ am? I might have become your mother-in-law. But this train is due for you. For good, I might add." she said in an icy tone that chilled the whole room. "And _why_ should I take back what I said? Obviously you _have_ forgotten how to behave properly, girl. For your behaviour is surely not that of a woman. Else you would show your Elders respect."

**  
**She fixed Akane with an icy glare that would have been able to turn hell itself into a frozen wasteland and continued. "And how you treat my son is abominable! I would never have believed it had I not seen it with my own two eyes over the last months! I have tolerated it for his sake, because he asked it of me, but enough is enough! You are totally immature, self-centred and you have no control over your temper. I have now proof that I was right to doubt the wisdom of the engagement between yourself and him. For how should you two have a working relationship if you don't _trust_ him? A relationship has _no_ foundation without trust, Akane." she stated with her sternest expression and paused to take in a breath.

**  
**With fire in her eyes she continued a second later, not giving Akane a chance to respond. "And don't you dare call yourself a martial artist. Do you think breaking bricks makes you a martial artist? It takes _learning_ to achieve a skill, and from what I have seen you are not willing to take the time to do so. You are nothing more than a well-trained _bully_, as your constant unprovoked malletings of my son prove! _Nobody_ deserves to be hammered with a blunt object, and my son the least, after what he did for you! _My_ child will _never_ marry a violent, uncontrolled girl like you who won't appreciate him! The engagement between yourself and my son is off! For now and ever!" she finished.

**  
**Soun and Genma visibly cringed. No, this was not going as they had expected. Not by a long shot. Inwardly Genma shook his head. He had long since found out that a man could serve the moods of a woman far better by giving in to her. This way the man had his peace and quiet, while the woman had the good feeling to be right.

**  
**He had taught this wisdom to his son, and he had been proud at how the boy had applied his knowledge. Not once had he hit his iinazuke (okay, make that ex now) and he had always given in to her, even if with a fight, probably to save face. So where had it gone wrong? Obviously his son was not at fault this time, which was a new situation for Genma. He would have to brood about it.

**  
**The Tendo Patriarch, for his part, was slowly overcoming his shock. _Never_ would he have believed that his Akane, his baby daughter, had obviously _really_ no control over her temper once enraged, like she had been accused of in the past. He had thought that she was something of a tomboy, but this apparently ran deeper.

**  
**Her performance of some moments ago had really opened Souns' eyes. Instead of applying his well known waterworks in face of a bad situation the head of the Tendo household sunk into a smouldering fury. Akane's behaviour would have to be corrected.

**  
**And for the first time since Genma had brought Ranma into this house Soun Tendo asked himself if all what Ranma had obviously endured from his youngest daughter had been justified by his dream to unite the schools of the Tendo Ryu and the Saotome Ryu though the marriage of Akane and Ranma.

**  
**He had promised his wife Kimiko on her deathbed that he would ensure the future and safety of his daughters, and he had had to admit to himself that he had done an abysmal job at it. The card Genma had sent from China had been something of a life-saver for him. Through the promise they had made so many years ago, Soun had thought he'd be able to fulfil the promise he had made to his dying wife. Now, in face of how Akane treated Ranma and how she obviously always had treated him he was not so sure anymore.

**  
**Shampoo for her part was silently cheering. **'Too too stupid violent kitchen destroyer has dug own grave now! Too too good! One second, why do I think like that too? Aiyah, its time to return home to the village with Airen now that it has _finally_ happened! This stupid country makes me go bonkers.'** the Amazon thought.

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma (she had landed in the canal again) had reached the dojo once more via roof-hopping, and just in time to hear her mothers' statement. She was just about to enter the house, when Akane turned towards her father, also noticing Ranma in the process. "Dad? How can you let the mother of this_ pervert_" she spat the word while looking at Ranma, who had meanwhile entered the kitchen, "say something like that about me?" she demanded, anger and fury still clouding her senses.

**  
**A second later Ranma literally glowered at her insulting ex-iinazuke. This time Akane had gone too far in her anger. Nobody insulted her mother! What feelings of love Ranma might have had left for Akane evaporated in this second. This was also the moment when the brutal reality sunk into Soun Tendo. For the first time he realised how many mistakes he had made regarding his youngest daughter.

**  
**He _had_ been far too lenient with her and he _had _allowed her to lax in her training which _had_ made her a bully, like Nodoka had accused. That he had never helped her to control her volatile temper now came back to haunt him, and his own fury was replaced by shame. Shamefacedly he bowed his head for a moment. Then he looked up, and directly into Akane's eyes with a hard glint in his own. "Akane, go up to your room. You are grounded until further notice." he said in a hard voice and without the slightest evidence of a tear.

**  
**One disbelieving look at her father told Akane that her father _really_ meant business. Kasumi, who had just arrived from the cellar with an interesting looking casket exclaimed a soft "Oh my!"

**  
**Akane still looked at her father in stunned disbelieve. Had she _heard_ right? Her own _father_ was betraying her? The red haze before her eyes returned once more. It was all the Amazon hussies' fault. She would show her!

**  
**Ah, Kasumi had an appropriate object! "Give that here!" she yelled and grabbed the casket. She would douse the offending Amazon with whatever liquid it contained and make a catfur-rug out of her. _After_ she had doused her with that liquid. "You will pay, Shampoo!" she yelled.

**  
**With a tug she ripped the water-casket from Kasumi and threw it at Shampoo in one fluid motion. But Shampoo was not a well-trained Amazon for nothing. She pulled out her bonbori from stuff-space and deflected the cask back at Akane in the blink of an eye.

**  
**But despite being a 'well-trained bully', as Nodoka had dubbed her, Akane was fast enough to avoid the flying object and ducked. But a certain someone, who was standing behind her, was not as lucky.

**  
**The casket hit the person in the head and spilled its contents over it. The results, however, were not as expected...

**  
**¹ sounds much, but its 'only' about 500 dollars.  
² means "wild horse"

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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**  
**


	5. A cursed Tendo! And Ranma’s true power!

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 5: A cursed Tendo! And Ranma's true power! **

**  
**It was still a beautiful day outside. The mild sun of the spring was warming the afternoon air, birds were twittering and one could feel the spring literally in the air. Beautiful indeed, if one could enjoy it.

**  
**The current attendees of the Tendo Dojo could and would definitely not. They were still numb with shock from what had transpired in the last few minutes. Nodoka Saotome had declared the engagement between her son (at the moment daughter, to be exact) Ranma and Akane Tendo and as null and void. And that with just reason.

**  
**Reason for this had been Akane's behaviour during another 'Amazon incident'. Naturally Akane blamed anyone but herself, and thus she had attacked Shampoo, utilising a casket Kasumi had found in the cellar and planning to make a catfur-rug out of the Amazon once doused.

**  
**Shampoo, being no push-over, had deflected the casket right back to the source using her bonbori, but Akane had been able to duck. Not so Kasumi, who had been hit by the casket in the head, which's contents had spilled over her. Naturally and par for the course for Nerima the contents of the casket had been anything but normal water. After all, Nerima did not do normal.

**  
**Soun Tendo was, surprisingly, one of the first to recover. He took one look at Kasumi, and promptly employed his demon-head technique. But unlike former times, not Ranma was the recipient, for the whole incident was not Ranma's fault at all. No, this time it was directed solely at Akane. **"AKANE TENDO, YOU WILL GO UP INTO YOUR ROOM AND STAY THERE UNTIL THE COWS COME HOME! I WILL DECIDE YOUR PUNISHMENT LATER! AND DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE YOUR ROOM EXCEPT FOR THE USE OF THE BATHROOM! NOW GET MOVING!" **the Tendo patriarch bellowed.

**  
**Akane had progressively cringed back from her demon-headed father during his speech. She had never seen him angry enough at her to use the demon-head on her. Breaking out into a torrent of tears that could compare to fountain-sama any time, the youngest Tendo ran up the stairs as if hell itself was breathing down her neck. The next sound that could be heard was the slam of a door. And then… silence. Except for ragged breathing.

**  
**Ranma, still in female form, was the first one to approach Kasumi. Only that _he_ hardly looked like Kasumi. Kasumis' face had taken on much more angular planes and _his_ arms (at the shoulders) and waist had split the seams of the dress Kasumi was wearing. Nodoka approached him with a hastily prepared cold washcloth and laid it onto Kasumi-otokos forehead. The coldness of the wet washcloth was enough to revive Kasumi, and the first thing he exclaimed after he had sat up was an "Oh my!"

**  
**Kasumi's usual exclamation of surprise had everyone present cringing, for _his_ voice had come out in a rich baritone. Fact that made Kasumi-otoko ¹ ready to faint, but Ranma was there and she quickly held him in a comforting hug. Nodokas' brow did a Spock-manoeuvre at the sight. Ranma was meanwhile flustering calming and soothing words into Kasumis' ears, and it seemed to help. Until...

**  
**"WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! My daughter is now my son! WAAAHHHHH!" fountain-sama exclaimed, and Kasumi-otoko began to shake once more.

**  
**Ranma, who was hugging Kasumi-otoko even tighter now, was annoyed. "You're not helping, Mr. Tendo."

**  
**Shampoo had shaken herself out of her stupor too. "Shampoo know!" the Amazon exclaimed. "Will go and fetch Hibachan. Be back soon, yes?"

**  
**Everyone present nodded. "Thanks, Shampoo." Ranma exclaimed, gratefulness visible in her eyes.

**  
**Shampoo grinned at her Airen, mounted her bike and sped off. Inwardly she shuddered and she was _very_ glad that what had happened to the nice girl Kasumi had not happened to her. Imagine an Amazon warrior turning into a male. Gruesome!

**  
**Ranma on her part was still occupied with tending to Kasumi. And to the surprise of everyone present (including herself, would she be asked later) she was handling the task very well. "Kasumi, do you feel strong enough to sit down on a chair?"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko, who did not trust his voice, simply nodded. With the help of Ranma and her considerable strength Kasumi was brought out of the sitting into a standing position. His balance was _very_ off due to the altered balance point, and Ranma had to help him to keep standing.

**  
**It was not as bad as it had been for Ranma back then when she suddenly had had a lot of added weight in her chest which had screwed her balance _totally_. She still remembered with embarrassment how often she had landed flat on her face the first few days. But still, it _was_ different for Kasumi-otoko and he would have to get used to it.

**  
**Ranma still helped him to remain standing, and it was visible that he was thankful for her support. Now everyone could see Kasumi-otoko clearly for the first time. Nabiki had to suppress the urge to whistle. Her 'brother' was a _hunk_!

**  
**He had considerably grown in height and was now easily towering over Mr. Tendo. Kasumi-otoko had not grown too much in muscle-mass as to make him look bulky, but the training Kasumi still did to keep in form clearly showed in her male form, as he was trim and athletically built. His new muscles quivered as he ascertained his new body; slowly, disbelievingly he was noticing that the curves that had existed mere minutes before had disappeared.

**  
**Kasumis' eyes, however, did not really look at himself. Anywhere but. The reality was just too much at the moment, and looking at _himself_ would only have made it definite. Kasumi Tendo now had a curse. And a guy-curse to boot. He also slowly noticed the body parts which were now different, and it made him ready to faint again.

**  
**Ranma on her part knew exactly what Kasumi was going through. She had gone through the same thing, only in reverse. Stepping in front of Kasumi-otoko Ranma looked him directly into the eyes. "Kasumi, please look at me."she said softly but ordaining.

**  
**Slowly, the words registered, and Kasumi looked down into Ranmas blue orbs. "Ranma... I... I..." he began, and reached with his hands towards his throat, as if he could make the baritone disappear in this way.

**  
**The pigtailed girl smiled at him, and care and thinly veiled worry were obviously in her eyes. "Kasumi, now please calm down and breathe deeply. You can do that for me, ne?" she mocked playfully.

**  
**Ranma had obviously pushed the right button, and Kasumis' breathing slowly returned to normal. He had overcome the _shock_, but now _realisation_ would come to Kasumi. Like a 40-ton hammer. "Ranma... I... I am... a guy. But... but I... can't be a guy!" he exclaimed.

**  
**Nodoka and Nabiki cringed. Of all the girls it could have happened to, sweet Kasumi was the one who was hit the hardest by it. But Ranma kept her cool. "Why not? Hey, I was born a guy and I turn into a girl. Big deal. It's not the end of the world. Besides, you're not butt-ugly, rather the opposite. If I were into guys I would be tempted."she said with a smile.

**  
**What Ranma had said brought a weak smile to Kasumi-otokos lips. She was right. It was not the end of the world, but still a lot to take in. Ranma smiled once more at Kasumi-otoko and embraced him in a comforting hug. She knew that the cursed Tendo needed comfort now (comfort _she_ surely had not gotten from her idiot father after _she_ had been cursed), and she was more than glad to repay Kasumi for all the help that the now cursed Tendo had given her in the past months. And slowly Kasumi-otoko seemed to relax.

**  
**However, multiple sweatdrops had ensued because of the statement Ranma had made. Genma was about to angrily shout something, but Nodoka silenced him with a glare that was as sharp as her katana. This was too important and no time for his misogynistic crap. And Ranma was correct. Kasumi-otoko _was_ very handsome. But another thing confused most attendees.

**  
**Had Ranma really meant what she had said? Had she accepted the curse or had she just said it to calm Kasumi down? Now that would be interesting to know. But at the moment _other_ matters were more pressing.

**  
**Nodoka smiled at Kasumi. "My child is right, Kasumi. It _is_ hard to accept, but it is not the end of the world. So, now I will heat you a kettle of water and we will return you to normal. How does that sound?"

**  
**Kasumi managed a weak smile. "It... it sounds good, Auntie." he said with a firmer voice. Meanwhile Ranma was leading him carefully over to a chair where she helped the new curse victim to sit down.

**  
**Nodoka nodded and did as she had said. Meanwhile Soun had calmed down enough to see things more clearly. The engagement between Akane and Ranma had been dissolved, rightfully at that, and his oldest daughter had been cursed. It was a day to wail.

**  
**But unlike usually (and moments before) Soun Tendo refrained from giving in to his tears. Kasumi had been the backbone of the family ever since his wife had died, and now _he_ had to be strong for his children, especially for Kasumi. He had been weak for far too long, that he realised now.

**  
**Besides, maybe things could be resolved. Granted, it was clear that Nodoka would never approve of Akane as Ranma's wife now, not after the disrespectful and outrageous behaviour she had shown, but who knew, maybe Kasumi would be… **'No,'** Soun interrupted this thought before it could fully form, **'I made this mistake with Akane. The constant pressure Genma and I put onto the children has led to this disaster. And all this because of the joining of the schools. Is this really so important as to destroy the happiness of my children? What good has the joining of the schools done Akane? A fat lot! My baby daughter has become a violent and uncontrollable girl. And Kasumi? She has now a curse because of it! And I promised Himiko on her deathbed that our children would be happy, something my past activities for the schools has surely not achieved. No, Kasumi shall decide of her own free will if she is interested in Ranma. Although I think she _might_ be. And who knows, maybe the schools will be joined much easier without the constant pressure from us…' **the Tendo patriarch thought with a twinkle in his eyes.

**  
**His resolve grew. This time there would be no switching of the engagement just yet, first Soun would observe Ranma and Kasumi and learn if feelings of love could blossom between the two. For from observing how those two acted around each other it was at least obvious that they liked each other. No, he would not interfere this time. He now knew that he had made a mistake with his youngest daughter when he had pushed her into the engagement with Ranma, and he had underestimated her stubbornness regarding the refusal of the engagement.

**  
**Now, in hindsight he realised that with what had happened to Akane at school it might not have been his wisest move to engage Ranma and Akane. Maybe it would have been the best solution to engage none of his daughters to Ranma for a year or so, a year, during which his daughters could have come to know Ranma as a person, not as an iinazuke. But now it was too late, and Soun Tendo really hoped that things would work out between Ranma and Kasumi. From his side there would be no pressure this time, and he vowed to put his foot down should his old friend Genma tried anything.

**  
**In the meantime Ranma had realised something. Back then when _she_ had changed into a girl for the first time it had not been so bad for her as she had worn boxers at this time, which were not that incompatible with the female gender.

**  
**But for _Kasumi_, who had changed from a woman into a man, it was a completely different matter. The pigtailed girl suspected that form-fitting panties did not really sit that well with a guy… "Uhh, Kasumi, do you feel strong enough to go upstairs?" she asked as cautiously as possible.

**  
**"Why that, Ranma?" Soun asked. "Should my daughter, err, son not recover properly first?"

**  
**The pigtailed girl blushed. There was obviously no way to avoid that specific explanation. "Umm, Mr. Tendo, as a female yer daughter wears panties, right?" Soun nodded, and Ranma continued. "And 'em things are _very_ form-fitting. But right now Kasumi ain't a girl. See the problem?"

**  
**It took some seconds to make click, but suddenly everyone understood. "Oh yes," Nabiki said, her voice showing sympathy, "now that must be _really_ uncomfortable, 'bro'."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko blushed and nodded. In reality it was _more_ than just uncomfortable. It was pure hell! Now he knew why Ranma had never worn any panties, even when she had been a girl for a longer period of time. Changing into a guy while wearing panties was definitely not recommendable. "Yes, Ranma, I do feel strong enough. Thank you." he said, getting up.

**  
**Once more Ranma was at his side in a flash and helped him to keep his balance, and from there she helped him up the stairs. Nodoka noticed this and smiled silently to herself.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
**Ranma held Kasumi-otoko by the hand in order to give him enough support. And due to her phenomenal strength that was no problem at all. Kasumi-otokos' balance was still off, but the pigtailed girl also noticed that he did not seem to mind the physical contact at all. Unlike Akane.

**  
**The cursed Saotome youth had begun to notice a lot of things about Kasumi, things she had begun to notice over the course of the last three months. Aside from the fact that the present physical contact they shared felt good. She had soon come to see that the real Kasumi was hiding behind a mask. The mask of the pleasant and oblivious housewife.

**  
**Ranma knew that Kasumi possessed great medical knowledge, was a good listener and apparently very intelligent, but she had obviously put aside her true self in order to function for her family. But Ranma had gotten glimpses on the real Kasumi in these last months too, and what she had seen had been much to her liking.

**  
**To herself she had to admit that she had begun to develop feelings other than what one would feel for a friend for Kasumi over these months. After all, Kasumi had tended to her wounds time and time again, had always had an open ear for her troubles and problems and had always had a smile on her lips for her when she had needed one. In a few simple words: Kasumi had cared for her where Akane had not.

**  
**Kasumi had been a person Ranma could trust, could confide in, and she had realised over the past three months that Kasumi trusted her likewise. It had also made so much fun to learn with her, and throughout the last three months she had always looked forward to their tutoring sessions.

**  
**And during these Ranma had slowly begun to develop more than just friendly feelings for Kasumi. She had found out that she liked Kasumi. But in order to give Akane and herself a chance to make their relationship work she had suppressed these feelings as much as possible.

**  
**Now that was not necessary any more, and Ranma would see where those feelings would lead her. But this time, she vowed, nobody would interfere. Least of all her idiotic father. She would find a way to eliminate the outside influences as much as possible. There was no need for a repeat performance of what she had gone through with Akane.

**  
**The cursed martial artist knew that a relationship, even that of friends who might become more, was a frail thing. And in the presence of her idiot father, who'd only exerted mindless pressure on her and Akane in order to 'unite the schools' there would be no chance in hell to come to know the real Kasumi like she wanted. No, the outside influences _had_ to be eliminated. And she'd ask her mother for help. After all, her mother had had some good ideas in the past.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko was also hanging to his own thoughts, now that he had recovered somewhat. The way Ranma was holding his hand gave him silent and strong support and made him eternally grateful towards the pigtailed martial artist. At the moment she was like a rock for him, and the renewed physical contact to the presently female Ranma simply felt good.

**  
**That they were holding hands was quite an achievement for Ranma in and on itself, for Ranma had all along been ill-conditioned by her younger sister that physical contact led to clobberings and insults. The fact that they were holding hands now (even if it was only meant to support him) showed a high level of trust. Which made Kasumi-otoko happy. Maybe he really _had_ a chance at Ranma.

**  
**Seconds later they stopped at the guestroom door, and Ranma motioned for Kasumi-otoko to enter. The cursed Tendo did, and a moment later he stood in the room, waiting for what Ranma would do now.

**  
**The cursed martial artist walked towards her cupboard and opened it, then she extracted a bundle of boxers out of it. "Kasumi, from now on you'll need these. In private, I know how uncomfortable it is to change into a guy while wearing panties. It happened to me one time when I had to wear a disguise, and it was pure hell. Now that you change into a guy you'll have no other choice but to wear these. Sorry 'bout this."

**  
**The cursed Tendo managed a weak smile. "It is not your fault, Ranma. Far from it. I rather want to thank you for your help. Without it I would not have known how to handle this situation. Thank you for that." he said and embraced a surprised Ranma in a hug.

**  
**Said Ranma was only surprised for a second, then she rather enjoyed the hug. It felt really good to be embraced in a shared hug, not in something that was totally one-sided like those stupid Amazon glomps. No, to something like this she could get used to.

**  
**Seconds later the cursed individuals separated from each other, and Ranma smiled at Kasumi-otoko. "You're welcome, Kasumi. I know how hard it is to get used to the curse, and after all you have done in the past months for me it is the least I can do for you. Know what, I'll do my utmost to help you. This I promise."

**  
**Now Kasumi-otoko managed a real smile. "Thank you, Ranma. That really means a lot. Now… could you turn around so I can get rid of these stupid panties? They constrict me like hell!"

**  
**Ranma nearly keeled over in shock. Kasumi had sworn? "Uuh… sure." she said and turned around. "B… but I could have sworn that I heard you swear!"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko grinned while ridding himself of the now unfitting piece of cloth. "Must be the hormones of my new body." he answered.

**  
**The pigtailed girl nodded. "Probably…"

**  
**Seconds later Kasumi-otoko had finished the clothing procedure and breathed a sigh of relief. "That is _much_ better. Now I know why guys do wear these." he exclaimed.

**  
**Ranma turned around and grinned. "A lot more freedom down there, eh?"

**  
**The cursed Tendo blushed for a moment, and then nodded. "There's no other way to word it."

**  
**Ranma nodded. Then she suddenly snapped her fingers as an idea hit her. "Kasumi, we can't have you running around in a nearly destroyed dress while you're a guy. Here, take these." she said and handed Kasumi a spare pair of her Chinese clothing.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko took the pants and the t-shirt, and nodded to himself. He could see the logic. Once he would change back into a she these clothes would still fit. "Thank you again, Ranma." he said with a smile, which then changed into a smirk. "But now you have to turn around once more."

**  
**The pigtailed girl laughed. "That ain't no problem." she said smiling and did just that. **'Although you don't have anything I haven't seen before.'** she thought smiling.

**  
**And a minute later Kasumi-otoko was clothed in his new attire, and then the cursed individuals left the room, grinning about their shared knowledge as to why it was way better for victims of the Nannichuan and Nyannichuan to wear boxers.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
**The others had busied themselves with getting used to the new situation. Nodoka had made preparations to heat the water and was heating up some additional water for tea, Soun was still smouldering at the actions of his youngest daughter, and Nabiki was contemplating how she could keep what had happened a secret. There was no way she'd make a profit with the knowledge that her sister had received a curse. Even if she could, she never would have wanted to.

**  
**That the engagement between her little sister and Ranma had been dissolved was another matter. Out of this information she'd extract as much profit as possible, and this time she'd share the profits with Ranma. After all, the Saotome youth had proven to be much more than she had originally thought him to be, and Nabiki doubted that even she could have given Kasumi only half the moral support Ranma had given her or rather him. Heck, these damn gender-pronouns made her head hurt. Stupid genderging curses.

**  
**Some moments later both cursed individuals came downstairs again, and Ranma was again holding Kasumi-otokos hand to give him the proper support. She also helped him to sit down again, and then she sat down beside Kasumi-otoko herself.Nodoka, who was still standing at the stove, had watched this with interest.

**  
**As had Nabiki, who actually smiled at her sister-turned-brother. "And, feeling better now, bro? Nice style of clothes, by the way." she said, and her smile changed into a smirk.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled back. "Thanks to Ranma's help, yes. And I wouldn't have thought it, but those clothes are really comfortable." he said, and directed a thankful smile at Ranma.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter smirked to herself. **'Says the sister-turned-brother who never wore anything else but a dress.'** thought Nabiki with a smirk. **'Hmm, I'd say some things are about to change around here, and maybe for the better.' **

**  
**Genma, who had been thinking along the lines of Soun's first thought of uniting the schools by transferring the engagement, was seeing the silver lining again at this sight. His plans of retirement had received a severe beating when Nodoka had decided to call the engagement off.

**  
**Now things started to look up again. If only they could hitch Ranma together with Kasumi. They even had matching curses now, which he had realised was not such a bad thing. It would be perfect, and his retirement would be ensured! But for the time being he would postpone his plan; things had to settle down somewhat first, and not even he was as improvident as to proclaim a new engagement at present.

**  
**Nabiki for her part, always the curious one, had now gotten up from her place in the sitting-room after the chaos of the last few minutes had alleviated somewhat. She wanted to know if this casket really was what she thought it was. Why wait until Shampoo had fetched Cologne?

**  
**The mercenary girl got down to one knee where the incident had happened and picked the casket up, careful not to spill anything in case it still contained the cursed fluid. It was quite clear from what had happened that it had contained Nannichuan-water, so much was obvious from the state her sister-turned-brother was in, but it was still open if it was permanent or instant water.

**  
**Nabiki studied the casket carefully. It had remained largely intact and the Chinese symbols were still readable. Mentally congratulating herself that she had learned Chinese after the arrival of Cologne, the mercenary girl was able to read the symbols.

**  
**What she read, however, confirmed her worst fears. This was water from the Spring of Drowned Man, and it was indeed quite permanent, as the symbols said. The others, even Nodoka, who was heating up the water, must have noticed her expression change. **'Damn, I slipped.'** she thought and put her cool Ice-queen exterior back up once more.

**  
**Then she turned to her sister-turned-brother. She hated to be the bearer of bad news, unless she was paid for it, of course, but Kasumi would soon find out anyhow. At the latest with Cologne's arrival. "Sis, or rather bro, I had the hope that it would only be Instant Nannichuan water. But the label is quite distinct. It is _permanent _Nannichuan and has been sent by the Jusenkyo guide himself. Sorry, Kasumi."

**  
**This made it really final to Kasumi. She (or rather he at the moment) was now permanently cursed to become a man when splashed with cold water. Thanks to Ranma's support Kasumi had somewhat accepted the reality of being cursed now, but despite that he was nearly ready to erupt into a fresh bout of tears. For now he had the knowledge that it was forever, else they found a cure. But how successful had Ranma been in the past? Sadly, not at all.

**  
**Ranma, who was kneeling besides the sitting Kasumi hugged him from the side to give him support in his time of need. In the past Kasumi had always been there for her, and now she would be there for the newly cursed Tendo.

**  
**And moments later with the help of Ranma, who had flustered calming and soothing words to Kasumi the newest curse victim had calmed down somewhat and gave Ranma a weak, but thankful smile. Meanwhile the kettle with warm water was ready, and Nodoka stood behind Kasumi and Ranma.

**  
**Ranma looked at Kasumi-otoko with obvious care in her eyes. "Kasumi, the change will come very fast. You'll sense a strange tingling sensation all over your body, but it does not hurt at all. Ready?" she asked.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded, and Ranma helped him to get up from the chair. The cursed Tendo was now a bit surer of his footing, but still held on Ranma for support. The pigtailed girl smiled reassuringly at him and Ranma gave her mother the sign to upend the kettle over their heads.

**  
**The cursed Tendo concentrated on the change, and Ranma had been right. It did not hurt at all, but she could feel the shifting of organs and bones very clearly. She also felt herself filling out her Chinese pants in the _right_ way once more.

**  
**As soon as the change was complete, Kasumi hugged Ranma-otoko and sobbed unrestrained into his chest. The oldest Tendo daughter did not care how that looked, she simply wanted to be comforted. And Ranma, even surprising himself, was more than ready to comfort Kasumi.

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist softly stroked and patted Kasumis' back, and Nodoka could not help herself, she had to smile at the sight. The anger she had still felt towards Akane had evaporated at the sight. **'What a nice couple those two make. And not only because of their matching clothes...' **the Saotome matriarch thought.

**  
**Nabiki noticed it too, as did all the others, but the middle Tendo daughter had more pressing matters to attend to. With a calculating look she locked eyes with her father. The Tendo patriarch gulped. He _knew_ that look. "Dad," she said in her sweetest voice, as in as sweet as a sledge hammer, "how come that the Nannichuan casket that _should_ have been a wedding present to Ranma was hidden in the cellar? I mean, come on, it is now quite clear that the water jiji drank at the wedding was just that, normal water. _Why_ did you exchange the caskets and _why_ was it hidden in the cellar? Talk!"

**  
**Soun sighed. "I had my reasons. At first I wanted to have something up my sleeve in case Ranma did not want to marry Akane and join the schools, but then I found out a bitter truth about Jusenkyo."

**  
**"Ahh," came an old voice from the door, "so you found out, Tendo Soun." the withered old matriarch of the Joketsuzoku said.

**  
**"Hello, old ghoul." Ranma greeted, still comforting Kasumi, who was still leaning into his shoulder.

**  
**"Son-in-law." Cologne greeted back and pogoed into the room. She was followed by Shampoo and Mousse.** "**My great-granddaughter told me what has transpired here. Show me the casket." she said, and Nabiki, who had been examining it, handed it to her.

**  
**Cologne studied the casket intently, and after a while she nodded. "This is indeed authentic water from the Spring of Drowned Man and quite permanent, I might add. According to this," she pointed at the label, "sent by the Jusenkyo guide himself. Hmm, it seems I will have to have a talk with him once I return to China."

**  
**"Why is that, old ghoul?" Ranma asked.

**  
**"Ranma, watch your language!" Kasumi, who had meanwhile recovered, scolded from her position within the hug. A position which was noticed by Cologne and met with a raised brow on her part. Her great-granddaughter, who knew what a caring person her Airen was, thought nothing of it.

**  
**"Sorry, Kasumi. So why is that, Elder Cologne?" Ranma asked, directing a sheepish smile at Kasumi while he enjoyed the proximity of her body.

**  
**This exchange was followed with great interest, and in Colognes' head the mental gears began grinding. If what Shampoo had told her was true, and she had no reason to doubt her great-granddaughters' word, the engagement between Ranma and Akane had been dissolved. Permanently.

**  
**Now it seemed as if another player had entered the field, it seemed. **'Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but my instincts have _never_ wronged me. The oldest Tendo daughter might be serious competition for my Xian-Pu. And with her we can't proceed the way we have with Tendo Akane. For making Tendo Kasumi jealous won't work. No, Xian-Pu will have to win son-in-law the normal way. Even though I suspect that my great-granddaughter 'helped' Tendo Akane losing the engagement. I'll have to check my spice-rack later.'** Cologne mused.

**  
**Ever since the Matriarch had gained knowledge of what had happened at Jusendo she had had her doubts that Xian-Pu would be able to win Ranma over at all. The young warrior had stated repeatedly that he did not _want_ to marry her great-granddaughter, and truth be told, she saw the chances of Xian-Pu dwindling. If Ranma was indeed as strong as Xian-Pu and Mu-Tzu had claimed, and she had no reason to doubt them, it might very well be impossible to win Ranma over as an Airen for Shampoo.

**  
**Thus she was already working in private on a way to preserve the honour of her great-granddaughter and to bring Ranma into the tribe without a marriage between Xian-Pu and Ranma. And slowly her plan began to assume shape. For it was unthinkable of what would happen if someone like Ranma, who did his Japanese name indeed honour in that regard that he was as untameable as his name suggested, was to be brought into the village by force. Which would be a feat in and on itself.

**  
**Not that Cologne had even considered this option, but two newly elected idiotic Elders _had_. Baka arrogant younglings. They were idiotic Elders indeed, who had seen Ranma only as a breeding stock, as an inferior male who had to be chained down, and not as the amazing individual Cologne had come to know the Saotome youth. But their behaviour had soon been corrected, and Cologne could be sure that there would be no rash actions on the Chinese Amazons' part.

**  
**For even the most optimistic calculations had estimated that the village and the tribe would be destroyed and wiped off the map five seconds after Ranma would have had regained consciousness. And he would only be of value for the tribe when conscious. Drugs, herbs and other, similar methods would not work, as Ranma had proven to be mysteriously immune against most means they had used in the past. And the other, stronger means had too disadvantageous side effects to be of any use.

**  
**And as it was completely useless to use the strength sapping moxibustion on Ranma due to his enormous ki-reserves and his phenomenal speed, Cologne was working on alternate plans which would involve a solution with which both sides could live. And that well at that. She still called him her son-in-law, but that was more to keep the façade. Plus she knew that it annoyed the Saotome youth. And after all, an old woman had to have some sports left in her old days.

**  
**But Xian-Pu did not know of her plans, and that was good so. "It seems that the guide was feeling mischievous when he sent the casket here. The magic of the Springs is inherently chaotic, so only the Kami knew what would happen when he send the casket here. It is quite clear that his intent was not to give you a cure, son-in-law. Maybe it was the influence of the combined Springs magic that made him do it, but the Nannichuan is no cure for you. Can you guess why?"

**  
**Ranma thought for a moment before giving up. Meanwhile Kasumi had recovered enough and helped herself to some tea with the hot water that was left over on the stove. "Umm... can you give me a clue?" Ranma asked hopefully.

**  
**Cologne cackled. "Of course, son-in-law." she said and paused to grin. Which was not a particularly nice sight. "Remember what happened to Pantyhose Taro?" she asked.

**  
**Ranma nodded. "But what has that got to do with..."

**  
**The Elder interrupted, while the other attendees listened with rapt attention. "What does he turn into, son-in-law?"

**  
**That was easy. "A flying Minotaur." Ranma answered promptly.

**  
**Cologne nodded. "But what happened to him when he splashed himself with water from the Pool of Drowned Giant Octopus? He did not turn into an Octopus. Rather his cursed form gained tentacles with the ability to spray ink. Why?"

**  
**Slowly it began to dawn on Ranma. "Because... because the curses don't _replace_ each other. They...", the blood drained from his face, "Holy Kami-sama on a bike! They _mix_!" he exclaimed.

**  
**The Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku nodded sagely. Ranma really did have a mind if you could just get him to use it. "Got it in one. Now you know why you should never get near permanent Nannichuan water. The curses would mix, and you'd turn into a Hermaphrodite. Not an enviable fate in my book. This is also the reason, why you, Miss Tendo," she looked at Kasumi, "should never come near permanent Nyannichuan water. Sad as it is, but there _are_ no cures for Jusenkyo curses. Jusenkyo holds its victims in an iron, unbreakable grip. And that to the end of the victims life."

**  
**"WHAT!" exclaimed Genma. Okay, he had accepted his curse for a long time now, but he had to keep his façade. If he showed that _he_ had accepted his curse, _his son_ might have the harebrained idea to accept his curse too. And then he'd become a weak little girl. A flower-loving sissy! Kami forbid!

**  
**Ranma did not want to accept what Cologne had said. "You lie! You _must_! There's gotta be a cure!" he exclaimed at the same time as his father had made his exclamation.

**  
**Hmm, obviously Ranma had not really accepted the curse completely. And true, secretly Ranma had still not given up the hope that somewhere a miracle cure existed. But to be true to himself, it was at best a dream. If what Cologne said was true...

**  
**Cologne shook her head sadly. "Son-in-law, we have lived near Jusenkyo ever since our founding days. We must know. There _is_ no cure. Cures for Jusenkyo curses are a myth. Son-in-law, I have no reason to lie to you. What would I _gain_ by doing so? If there was a cure and I had it or knew of it, do you think I would hesitate to give it to you in exchange for your marriage to Shampoo?"

**  
**The cursed martial artist visibly deflated. "No. No, you're right. If you _had_ a cure or even knew of one, I'd be married to Shampoo already. Sorry, I overreacted." he mumbled. Now it was Kasumis' turn to hug Ranma, and the pigtailed martial artist let himself be hugged all too gladly.

**  
**Nodoka, who had followed this exchange with rapt attention, did not look as downcast as one would have expected as she locked eyes with Cologne. "Elder Cologne, are there really no cures for Jusenkyo curses? I admit that I have somewhat gotten used to the fact that my child changes genders, but it would have been more to my liking if Ranma could have been restored to the way he was born."

**  
**The Elder smiled sadly at Ranma's mother. "Saotome-san, I swear on my honour as the Head Elder and Leader of the Council of the Joketsuzoku that there is no cure for Jusenkyo curses on the planet. And such a vow is sacred. We from the Joketsuzoku have searched the whole world for over 3000 years and we have found no cure. Our resources are considerable, and we turned every stone on this world at least ten times. There _is_ no cure, and the only choice Ranma has is to accept the curse. Your child will forever be both, Saotome-san, both a man and a woman."

**  
**The Saotome matriarch nodded. She had had a feeling that what Cologne had told them really was true. Call it feminine intuition or the gift to read people. Nodoka Saotome was now really convinced that Cologne was telling the truth. What would she have to gain by lying to them? She had said it herself. If there had been a cure or even the knowledge of one her child would probably have been an Amazon by now. No, the Elder was telling the truth.

**  
**Which meant that she, Nodoka Saotome, had to accept the curse of her child. She'd have to accept that Ranma was as much her daughter as her son. But that was not so difficult any more, not after the talks she had had with Kasumi in the past months. So her child would be a woman for half of the time for the rest of his/her life.

**  
**In former times she would have had a severe problem with this, but not so any more. She had finally understood what manliness really meant. In her childs' case it meant that Ranma should not aspire to be a man among men any more, which was inherently impossible due to the curse, but rather try to become a gentle person. But she would tell her child all this later. "I understand, Elder Cologne." she said and fell silent, obviously deep in thought.

**  
**Ranma, who had watched this exchange with great interest, turned to Mr. Tendo. "Is that why you exchanged the casket before the wedding? _Did_ you know?" she asked.

**  
**Soun nodded sadly. "The master told me before the wedding. He found out the hard way that the curses mix when he baptised Taro after his birth in one of the springs. He informed himself about Taros' curse and found out that it was an already mixed curse Taro had received. The master said that the Nannichuan water should _never_, under any circumstances come near you, Ranma. What would happen to you would be worse than the Nyannichuan curse, he said. And he is right. Thus I hid the casket in the cellar in a place where I was sure no one would find it to dispose of it at a later time. Sadly I never did, and now it is too late. Sorry, my daughter."

**  
**Kasumi smiled at him sadly and released the hug she had shared with Ranma to hug her father. "It was not your fault, dad. Had Akane kept her temper none of this would have happened. But I will have to accept that the curse was Kami-samas will. As the Elder said, there is no use in fighting it as I will have it forever."

**  
**At this her father looked up. His daughter had spoken like a fighter, like the fiery girl she had once been before the death of her mother. Not like the docile housewife she had become after the death of his Himiko. And now he was sure that she'd manage. Most probably with the help of Ranma, as things looked.

**  
**Said pigtailed martial artist for his part had shuddered and nodded at the explanation he had received from Soun. The vision of him becoming... _that_ was entirely too direful. That was a fate he did not even wish his worst enemy. "Thanks, Mr. Tendo." Ranma said and meant it. Then realisation came to him. "So that means that we," he pointed at Kasumi and himself, "will have those curses for the rest of our lives. I will always be a half-girl." he mused. "And you will always be a half-man." he added as an afterthought and hugged Kasumi anew.

**  
**Genma bristled. "My _son_ is no weak little girl!" he exclaimed. Whereupon all women present glared poison-tipped daggers at him.

**  
**SHING. Nodoka drew her katana, and Genma eeped. "Husband, I think it is _high time_ that you accept the curse of our child. I do _now_. And _you_ know of it a much longer time than I. Maybe it is time..."

**  
**Nodoka had no time to finish. Ranma had released Kasumi from the hug and had upended a glass of water over his head, turning into a girl. Now she had had enough! "I... AM... _NOT_... WEAK! OYAJI... NO... BAKA!" Ranma yelled and launched her father into the koi pond, her face as red as her hair from anger at her baka father.

**  
**... "for you to stop being so misogynistic. THAT he had coming!" Nodoka finished, and everyone nodded, satisfied smiles plastered over the faces of all females.

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma had calmed down. "So... there is really no other choice for me but to accept the curse, is that it?" she mused.

**  
**Shampoo and Mousse, who had been silent ever since Cologne had revealed that the curses mixed, were looking at the Joketsuzoku matriarch. Actually, Mousse was looking at the TV.

**  
**Cologne sighed and shook her head. BOP.

**  
**"Oww you dried up old mummy, what did you do that for?" Mousse lamented and rubbed his skull where Colognes' staff had impacted.

**  
**"Respect your elders, boy! And apply those glasses of yours to your eyes for once!" the Amazon matriarch snapped and bopped him again for his insolence.

**  
**Then she looked back at Ranma, while Mousse followed her order, albeit grumbling. "No, son-in-law, there _is_ no choice. Not if you want to lead a happy and fulfilled life. Ever since the Nyannichuan Spring came into existence 1500 years ago many men have fallen into the spring. Every single victim has been noted down by the guides throughout the centuries, including what became of them. And know that, son-in-law, that those who accepted the curse lived far longer and happier than those who constantly fought the curse for their whole lives, which were in these cases quite short. In essence, there is no other option but to accept the curse. You will have to accept your dual nature or the curse _will_ break you. That is the sad truth of Jusenkyo."

**  
**Shampoo looked at her great-grandmother baffled. "There no cure for curses, Hibachan? Not even animal curses?" she asked.

**  
**Incidentally Panda-man came just staggering back into the house when Shampoo asked the question. # _WHAT?_ # he signed, # _There **really** is no cure?_ #

**  
**Everyone ignored him, and Cologne looked sadly at Shampoo. "No, Shampoo. It takes indeed longer for an animal curse to latch onto the ki of its victim, that is true, but there is no way to remove the curse. None at all. And as you know now, the curses can not be replaced. It is futile."

**  
**Ranma stumbled over the words. Something in the back of her mind was trying to tell her something, something she had experienced in the past. But she could not put a finger on it. Maybe it would come back to her later.

**  
**Meanwhile Nodoka had come to a decision. "It seems that both of you," she looked first at Ranma, then at Kasumi, "will have to come to terms with your curses. I admit that I have made it very difficult in the past for you, Ranma. I was so fixated on an outdated version of manliness that I overlooked what manliness really means."

**  
**Ranma nearly looked shocked at the admission of her mother. Not for the first time lately she wondered if her mother had been abducted and replaced by aliens. But it was a nice change. "Aww mom, it was not so bad."

**  
**Nodoka however shook her head. "But it was. And I apologise for that, my child. Ever since I learned of your curse, I had a lot to think about. I had a lot of talks with Kasumi here," she said and smiled at the Tendo daughter, "and I have come to the realisation, that you should _not_ do your utmost to become a man among men, _rather_ you should try hard to become a gentleman, or in your case, a gentle person. Because of the curse it is inherently impossible for you to be a man among men. As I know now, you'll be a woman at least for half of the time for the rest of your life. Thus manliness does not apply any more in your case, my child." she said and stepped towards her son-turned-daughter.

**  
**The cursed Saotome youth looked confused at her mother. What had she cooked up now? Hopefully not something that had to do with being a 'woman among women'… "Uhh… what exactly do ya mean by what ya said, mom?"

**  
**The Saotome matriarch smiled at her child, and then she hugged her son-turned-daughter. Nodoka Saotome moved a lose strand of her red hair behind her daughters' ear and looked her into the eyes. "A gentleman, or gentle person, in your case, is someone who aspires to become a person who is as much in control of his or her life as possible. That is something that was sorely lacking while I still held you on to being a 'man among men', and one of the main reasons why I changed my point of view." she said with a smile at Kasumi.

**  
**"But a gentle person is not to be selfish, for he or she has to accept and respect the plans Fate and Destiny have with the lives of the others around him or her, as long as they do not act against your code of honour. I know now that there are matters in your life of which you have little to no control, the most prominent being your curse. But in order to get in control of your life, my child, you will have to accept your curse, as it will be a part of you forever. Fighting it would lead you nowhere, as it seems that you were fated to receive this curse. Ranma," she said and cupped her son-turned-daughters chin in her hand, "I can now accept that you are sometimes my daughter and sometimes my son. I hope you can too."

**  
**The others nodded in acceptance of this, and even Nabiki was impressed. Who would have thought that the eccentric Saotome matriarch would come up with something like that? Hmm, maybe her older sister had used her intelligence to exert some influence on the opinions of Nodoka Saotome. Anyway, this new concept was lightyears better than the old, and something Ranma surely could live with.

**  
**Genma-Panda on the other hand was beside himself with frustration and growled, which prompted everyone to look at him. # _**I** have no **daughter**!_ # Flip. # _**My** **son** is no weak little girl!_ # he signed.

**  
**Much can be said about Genma Saotome, but obviously not that he is adaptive. Otherwise he would have learned by now, that even Ranma was _far_ stronger than him. That rung especially true after Jusendo. But Genma Saotome would soon find out. Painfully.

**  
**For Genma Saotome had the bad luck that his son-turned-daughter had actually seen his messages because of his growl. And now she had really had enough. If even her _mother_, a woman who had constantly been on Ranma's case what with manliness and all the crap could accept the curse now, she, a person who would have had her commit Seppuku if she had not been deemed manly by her mother some months ago, why the blazes could baka oyaji not?

**  
**Oh yeah, because girls were weak and stupid. D'oh. She would show him! If he wanted to win the baka-of-the-year-award so badly, so be it! And she would give him his price personally, evil smirk included. "So, oyaji, you think that I am weak, ne?" she asked in a dangerous tone.

**  
**The Panda nodded, oblivious to the steely tone of Ranma. # _When you're a **girl**_ # Flip. # _you **are** weak!_ # Flip. # _Girls **are** weak!_ # he signed.

**  
**Ranma grinned devilishly, ignoring the cries of outrage from the other female attendees for the time being. "Let's go into the yard, baka-Panda. I want to show you something."

**  
**Said baka-Panda shrugged and followed his son-turned-daughter. As did the rest. Once everyone was outside, Ranma literally smirked. "So you think that I am weak when I'm a _girl_, huh?"

**  
**Panda-man nodded. Smirking continued. And for the first time since Jusendo Ranma raised her _true_ battle-aura. It formed fully in seconds and expanded more than twice as much as it had in Jusendo.

**  
**Power was literally rolling off of her in waves, more than any of them had ever felt before. Even Nabiki and Kasumi, who both had not an inkling of reading auras and such, _felt_ that this was really something else.

**  
**The heat Ranma exuded was so great that it began to melt the ground, and one could watch the underground slowly beginning to bubble. "How is _that_, oyaji no baka? _Still_ weak?" she sneered, crossing her arms over her chest.

**  
**Mousse boggled. As did the Panda. They both were the only ones out of the present attendees who had actually seen Ranma fight Saffron, aside from Shampoo. Akane was still banished to her room and did not count. But surely even she felt the power of Ranma.

**  
**There and then, at Jusendo, Saffron had been stronger despite the fact that he had lost, but it was quite evident that that was not the case any more. Ranma had become at least as strong as a god! "Great Aphrodite, Saotome is at least as strong as Saffron! Maybe even stronger!" the myopic Amazon male exclaimed his thoughts in absolute disbelief.

**  
**Now, for the first time, he got a glimpse at _how much_ Ranma was _really_ holding back in their fights. With that kind of power he could have beaten him with a flick of the hand! He gulped audibly. It was a good thing that Saotome had not lost his/her patience with him. Otherwise he would probably be counting daisies from six feet below. He shuddered again. Maybe it would be wise not to antagonise Ranma any further in the future...

**  
**Another Amazon, Shampoo, to be exact, had hearts in her eyes when she witnessed this display of power, as had Kasumi, for that matter. Both young women were spellbound by Ranmas display of power and did not notice the reaction of the other.

**  
**Nabiki had been initially stunned at this show of power coming from Ranma. After overcoming her... surprise adequately fast she had her indifferent mask back online. Sure, she had known that Ranma was a powerful martial artist, but that he had power that rivalled that of a god was... unsettling. It was a good thing that the engagement to her little sister had been dissolved.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter did not even want to _begin_ to think what could have happened if Ranma had lost control because of the abuse Akane and the fathers had constantly put him through. Some boxes were better left unopened, and the anger of Ranma Saotome obviously fell into that category.

**  
**Cologne, for her part, was more concerned about the implications of Ranma's gain in power. **'Hmm, it seems that son-in... Ranma has absorbed some of Saffrons' powers. Gauging from Mu-Tzu's reaction Ranma is maybe even stronger now than Saffron. Most intriguing. That means that I will have to speed up my plans to make Ranma an ally of the tribe. It is excluded that we bring such a powerful male, even if he is a half-female, into the tribe. No, we must make Ranma our ally. As much as it saddens me for my Xian-Pu. I will have to relate that to the village and initiate the necessary steps.' **

**  
**Nodoka had also hearts in her eyes. Her child was so strong! "Dearest," she said looking at the Panda, "do you _still_ think that our _daughter_ is weak?"

**  
**At first the Panda wanted to nod vigorously, for _all_ girls were weak and inferior in his opinion. But then he saw the promise of intense pain in Ranmas eyes and shook his head. **'Damn,'** the misogynistic Panda thought, **'it seems I really have a part-time daughter.'** # _Okay, Ranma is not weak_ # Flip. # _But all other girls are!_ #

**  
**Everyone present groaned, and Shampoo was more than ready to skin the stupid Panda alive. Would Genma ever learn? Okay, scratch the question. Ranma just growled. Then, suddenly, she held a sphere that seemed to consist of pure fire in her right hand and fired it without much further ado at the idiotic Panda.

**  
**Said Panda saw the burning projectile coming, but could do nothing to escape, for it was simply too fast. It hit head on and catapulted the offending (and annoying) Panda into the koi-pond, where he floated face down and quite charred.

**  
**Smoke was still rising from his backside, and every female present (even Nodoka) looked quite pleased at the sight. Revenge had been dealt! The sole male attendee (except for the floating Panda), namely Mousse, gulped once more. Yes, it was definitely a good idea not to antagonise Ranma any further…

**  
**Meanwhile said Ranma was doing a victory dance in a style she had seen on the TV in this sports show. How was that game named again? Ahh, yeah, American football. "Hah! That shut him up. Ranma 1 – Panda 0. Take that, stupid Panda!"

**  
**Mass face-faults ensued which then turned into hearty laughter. As often as the saying had been utilised today, that he had coming.

**  
**"Ranma," Nabiki asked, "what was it that you fired at your father?"

**  
**Said cursed martial artist smiled sheepishly. "Oh, that. It was something I came up with on the spot. A Moko Takabisha revised. Hmm, maybe I should call it 'Panda flambé', ne?"

**  
**Nabiki nodded absently, while the others boggled at the sight of the still smoking panda that now slowly began to show signs of life again. Which might be a good thing. Who needed a pond of drowned misogynistic panda after all? Then they looked at Ranma again as they realised something. She had made up that new attack on the spot? Awesome! Thus it was no wonder that as well Kasumis' as Shampoos' eyes were filled with hearts.

**  
**In the meantime the Saotome matriarch had an amused and decidedly smug look on her face. Maybe she should leave it to her son-turned-daughter to correct the behaviour of her father. That should be very interesting too watch. Inwardly Nodoka Saotome wondered how many demonstrations Genma would need until he (painfully) found out that women were anything but weak. The way her husband was acting, she mused, quite a lot.

**  
**Nodoka then shook her head at Genma's antics as her pandafied husband tried to heave himself out of the koi-pond and turned back to Ranma. "I hope you can accept that you are my son as well as my daughter."

**  
**Ranma hugged her mother who hugged her back. "I will... try, mother. I guess I have no choice. But I am still primarily a guy!"

**  
**Nodoka nodded after releasing the hug. After she had heard all the stories of the failed quests for a cure for the curses, she had figured that her child might have the curse forever. What Cologne had related today, had alleviated the last doubts she might have had in that regard.

**  
**There _was_ no cure. And Nodoka believed Cologne. It was as the Amazon matriarch had said. Had there been a cure, Ranma would probably be an Amazon now. No, denial would not help, only acceptance would. She had now a part-time daughter, but she could live with it. As long as she'd get loads of grandchildren...

**  
'Wow!'** Ranma thought. It really was a month of revelations. Who would have thought that her mother of all people had accepted the curse? Sure, Ranma had noticed that her mother had stopped harping about manliness ever since the failed wedding, but who'd have thought that she'd shot her crazy definition of manliness out of the window?Maybe now that her mother seemed to accept her as she was she'd really come to know her mother after all…

**  
**¹ otoko is the male-suffix used for male names in Japanese and means 'man'; Kasumi will referred to as Kasumi-otoko whenever she is in male form  
**  
to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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**


	6. How do we get them used to their curses?

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 6: How do we get them used to their curses? **

**  
**The Tendos except for Akane, who was still banished to her room until further notice, Saotomes and the Amazons were sitting in the living room and discussing what could be done about the curses and how Ranma and Kasumi could come to terms with them, when Ranma suddenly remembered something.

**  
**He (as he had returned to male form) slapped his head. "D'oh! I forgot that I promised to call Ryoga if there were any news regarding the Nannichuan or other cures. I'd say what happened qualifies. I'll go and call him."

**  
**Thus he went into the hall and pulled the card Ryoga had given him out of his wallet, which he kept in his personal stuff space to keep it safe from the panda. He then grabbed the telephone and dialled the number. Seconds later Akari answered. _"Hi, this is Akari."_

**  
**"Hi Akari, here is Ranma. Is Ryoga nearby?" he asked.

**  
**_"Oh, hello Ranma. Yes, Ryoga is on the sofa. I'll go and bring him the phone. If I'd call him to get the phone he might get lost."_ Akari said only half in jest.

**  
**Ranma barely suppressed a snicker. Seconds later Akari said _"Bye"_ and Ryoga answered. _"Hello, Ranma. I take you got news, what with that the month is over."_

**  
**The Saotome youth nodded to himself. Oh yeah, and what news those were. Slowly he began to relate all that had happened, and the lost boy grew progressively more silent during the talk. Then... _"AKANE DID WHAT?"_

**  
**Ranma winced. "Ouch, my poor ears. But you heard right. She malletted me for absolutely no reason, insulted my mother and was jointly responsible in cursing Kasumi. As a result, the engagement between Akane and me is off. Mr. Tendo has her grounded until the cows come home, as he said."

**  
**Ryoga snorted. _"I can't believe it. And to think that I loved her... oops. I did say that out loud, eh?"_

**  
**Now it was Ranma's turn to snort. "Don't matter to me any more. You and me both loved her, but in the end she showed that she is apparently not able to love a man like a normal woman would. I overheard a talk between Kasumi and Nabiki, and what Kuno did to her with his Hentai Horde and the morning fights has apparently left deep scars. Because of that she is simply loathing all boys in general, and that's why she did not trust me at all. She thinks that all boys are perverts that have to be punished if they so much as look at her. Her actions of the past months really convinced me that she needs help, Ryoga. What she'd need was a good shrink. But I'm so sorry for Kasumi. She got caught in the crossfire, and she, especially _she_, did not deserve it." he said with conviction.

**  
**The lost boy, not born yesterday, noticed the emotion and obvious care in Ranma's voice, but unlike in former times, refrained to comment on that. _"Nobody deserves to be cursed. **Nobody**. But you're right, Akane should see a shrink. After I came together with Akari I only realised how short-tempered she really is. But alas."_ he said in the breast-note of confirmedness. _"Any news what with a cure, Ranma?"_ he then asked.

**  
**Ranma sighed. Then he related what Cologne had said, and also told him what she had said about Pantyhose Taro and how the curses would mix. He also related that there was no cure.

**  
**Needless to say that Ryoga was quite put out. He was glad that he had Akari, else he would have been very depressed now... _"Damn."_ he said. _"Do you **believe** her, Ranma?"_

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist sighed even deeper. "She has no reason to lie, Ryoga. If she had a cure or would even know of a cure, she would have baited me with it and trapped me in marriage to Shampoo. Add to it that the Amazons have lived at Jusenkyo for millennia. If there was a cure, they'd know. No, I believe her. And I have come to realise that I gotta hafta accept the curse."

**  
**Silence at the other end of the line. What! Ranma accepting the curse? Was that the same Ranma who had always been so adamant about his manhood and who had always braged how manly he was? _"Umm, Ranma, that does not sound like you."_

**  
**Ranma nodded solemnly, though Ryoga couldn't see it. "I know, Ryoga. But even my mother, my mother of all people, has accepted the curse. Said something about Fate and destiny and me taking control of my life or some stuff, and that now, that I had the curse for the rest of my life I should accept it. And I will try, despite the upbringing baka oyaji gave me. I have long since realised that it is bullcrap that girls are weak and stupid. Hell, I'm not weak as a girl, and Ukyo, Shampoo 'n Kasumi are sure as hell not. If they can live as girls, I can sure as hell do it half the time."

**  
**Ryoga, invisible to Ranma, nodded. _"Tell ya what, buddy. It is high time you accepted the curse. You know, it is much better to turn into a girl than into a helpless animal. At least you have two hands and can still talk. Not to mention that you're not in danger of being eaten, like your idiot of a father tried to do with me. Give him a good trashing from me for that, as I never really got to 'thank' the stupid Panda for what he did. But you have my respect. I know parts of how your idiot of a father brought you up, and all I can tell ya is that: forget all he has taught you outside martial arts. He might be a passable instructor, the Neko-ken notwithstanding, but he is the lousiest parent I have ever seen. Don't listen to him. Girls are not weak and stupid, and it is no shame to turn into one. That I always taunted you with it only served to make you angry, and it worked. Ranma, rather see it as a chance to see both sides of the coin and learn from it. See it as a challenge!"_

**  
**"Thanks once more, buddy." Ranma said. Unbeknownst to Ryoga the Heituenniichuan cursed martial artist had pushed the exactly right buttons when he had labelled it a challenge.

**  
**_"You're welcome."_ Ryoga answered. _"Hmm, so it seems that I will turn into a pig for the rest of my life, huh?"_ the lost boy mused. _"Not that Akari would mind."_ he added as an afterthought.

**  
**"Yeah," Ranma said, "else we find some Nannichuan water. Think about it, even if the curses would mix, it would be better than now. You would still be able to turn back into a man, but your cursed form would be a mix of a human and a pig. I know, I know," he relented, "ya'd probably look like an Oni, but wouldn't it be better than now?"

**  
**Ryoga thought for a few seconds. _"Maybe you're right, Ranma. If you ever find Nannichuan water again, don't let it be destroyed by Akane and Shampoo and think of me."_ he said only half in jest.

**  
**"I will." Ranma promised. "Maybe I'll find another way, though. I still have the impression that I have forgotten something important. Maybe it will come back. Gotta say bye now, Ryoga. I wanna see what the others have come up with."

**  
**_"Alright, Ranma. Say hi to the others from me. Talk to you later."_¹

**  
**Both martial artists hung up, and Ranma made his way back to the sitting room.

**  
A few minutes earlier... **

**  
**"It is clear that my child is not entirely comfortable with his other form, although Ranma has had the curse for a long time now. There must be a way that would make Ranma get used to his female form." Nodoka mused.

**  
**Cologne nodded. "I agree, Saotome-san. It would be most advantageous if son-in-law would stay in female form for a longer period of time. If he constantly changed forms it would be most counterproductive for the process of acceptance of his female half." Cologne mused. After a brief pause she continued. "Tendo Kasumi, it would be the best if you did the same. Cold water is a lot more common than hot water, and you need the training in your cursed form."

**  
**Nodoka nodded. "I hate to say it, Kasumi, but Cologne-san is right. You must train how to be a man, as you too will have the curse for the rest of your life. My child is a bit better situated than you, as Ranma in his female form might pass as a tomboy, but the public would frown greatly on a feminine acting man. The best would be if the both of you would teach the other how to be a man respective a woman. I know it is hard on you, but it is something that needs to be done."

**  
**Kasumi sighed. She knew that Auntie Saotome was right, and maybe something good would come out of it. After all, it sounded like she would spend a lot of time in Ranma's presence. And if she had read Ranma right, the attraction she felt towards the pigtailed martial artist might be mutual.

**  
**It had felt so good to be hugged by Ranma in both forms, and the sensations that had run through both her forms had been indescribable. It had been as if a million butterflies had stopped by in her stomach. A truly wonderful feeling.

**  
**The oldest Tendo daughter had not noticed how her eyes had glazed over for a moment, but Nodoka had. And the Saotome matriarch came to the right conclusions. Yes, a mutual learning experience for Ranma and Kasumi could certainly have... benefits.

**  
**Shaking herself out of her musings Kasumi answered. "You are right, Auntie. And I could not imagine someone better suited to teach me how to be a man than Ranma. He is always such a gentleman, regardless of the form." the oldest Tendo daughter nearly gushed.

**  
**Cologne nodded to herself. She _had _read the signs correctly. Well, the more important became the task to make Ranma an ally of the tribe. The Amazon matriarch was quite sure now that Kasumi Tendo had fallen for Ranma, and to her it was quite obvious that Ranma would fall for the eldest Tendo daughter too. After all, Tendo Kasumi was easily likeable, treated Ranma well and did not obsess about him or treat him like a possession.

**  
**That had been one of her most grievous errors in dealing with the young Saotome. In the beginning she had seen him as a mere male and had let her great-granddaughter treat Ranma as a possession to be fought over.

**  
**Too late had she realised that Ranma Saotome was not a mere anything, as his stunning progress concerning his martial arts skills and power proved impressively.

**  
**When she had first arrived in Nerima, it had been child's play for her to beat Ranma. Now, nearly one year later, she doubted that she'd be able to beat Ranma even with the aid of the whole council. Not after the stunning display of power Ranma had given today.

**  
**Saffron had been outrageously strong, and the Amazons had known of his strength and power from legends. Xian-Pu and Mu-Tzu had been eye-witnesses of Saffron's power and had described it, and Mu-Tzu had described Ranma as maybeeven stronger, now.

**  
**She was sure that Mu-Tzu did not exaggerate. If anything, he'd try to drag Ranma's skill and power through the dirt. No, the boy's reaction had been authentic.

**  
**The Amazon tribe knew that they would not have stood a chance against Saffron should he have attacked. Now, Ranma had somehow become as strong or even stronger than the godling, and she had realised far too late that they should have treated Ranma as an ally and friend from day one. Maybe, just maybe, love for her Xian-Pu might have grown from this.

**  
**As it was now, after all the dirty tricks they had used, Cologne doubted that Xian-Pu would have a chance to win Ranma's love at all. In secret she'd prepare everything to make Ranma an ally of the tribe, and as the Leader of the council of the Joketsuzoku she'd give the assignation to follow through with that. An ally with a power that rivalled that of a godling was better than an ex-son-in-law with no ties to the tribe.

**  
**Now she would do everything in her might to ensure that Ranma and Kasumi got all the help they needed in dealing with their curses. After all, a Ranma who had accepted his female half would be – more easily – accepted by the tribe. But the hardest task would be to break the news to Xian-Pu, when her decision would become official.

**  
**Shaking herself out of her musings the three-hundred years old Matriach of the Chinese Amazons listened in on the developing conversation between Nodoka and Kasumi.

**  
**The matriarch admired how the Saotome matriarch was subtly questioning Kasumi, while at the same time reassuring her that everything would be alright. Cologne nodded to herself. Except for her great-granddaughter, Kasumi and Ranma everyone had noticed how the sparks sprayed between the Saotome youth and the newly cursed Tendo.

**  
**Elder Cologne was raised from her musings when she noticed that Nodoka Saotome was looking at her. "Yes, Saotome-san?"

**  
**"I was wondering if I could have a word with you, Cologne-san." the Saotome matriarch said, and Cologne noticed clearly that the younger woman was respectful while she displayed strength at the same time. Now she had no doubt any more after whom Ranma took.

**  
**"Of course, Saotome-san." the Elder said and got up with the help of her staff.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch got up herself and led the way to the kitchen, while Kasumi busied herself with a talk with Nabiki. As soon as Nodoka and Cologne had entered the kitchen, Nodoka closed the door. "Elder Cologne," she began, "what I wanted to have definite knowledge about, for the sake of my child as well as that of Kasumi, is the following: is a gender-cursed individual able to act on the biological potential of the body? Could Ranma as my daughter end up pregnant?" she asked.

**  
**Cologne needed all of her will-power to not fall off of her staff. Yes, it seemed indeed like a very good idea to dissolve the kisses made by Xian-Pu. It might be pure worry on the part of the Saotome matriarch that her child might end up raped, but somehow the Elder doubted this.

**  
**She knew that she could trust her instincts, and in the past months she had come to know Saotome Nodoka as someone who would love to become a grandmother. And now that she did not hold Ranma to that archaic and barbaric manliness crap any more she would not put it past her to accept grandchildren even if Ranma were to be the mother.

**  
**Pushing these thoughts away as unfounded assumptions on her part Elder Cologne prepared to answer. "In the past our tribe has made many experiences with victims of the Nannichuan and the Nyannichuan. You surely know that my tribe is a matriarchal society in which the males play an inferior role. And due to this inferior role of the males in my village many male Amazons have given up their manhood using the Nyannichuan Spring over time, and thus they became Amazon warriors in the process. As you might know there are ways to lock a cursed individual in their cursed form, and those who chose this path had themselves locked and became full Amazon warriors in the process."

**  
**"But isn't this cruel? I understand your way of living and respect it, but if it forces young men to become women… this can't be right." Nodoka Saotome stated.

**  
**The Elder smiled sadly. "I understand your position, Saotome-san. But if you want to achieve something in my tribe, and may it even be the most simplest of successes, you have to be female. And those who changed themselves into half-women and who had themselves locked as women have acted of their own free will when they jumped into the Nyannichuan Spring. But you are correct, they were pressured to some extent by our matriarchal society. This is indeed a flaw in the system, but for the sake of the greater good we have to hazard the consequences. For those who changed themselves into women often became some of our greatest warriors in history. Of course I know that it destabilises the population of the village, as males are needed, and nowadays it is only due to my legislation that males are allowed to act as support during battles, giving them more worth than in former times. But I digress. Your question was if a cursed individual can use the full biological potential of the cursed body, meaning, if the cursed body is fully functional, correct?"

**  
**Nodoka Saotome nodded. "Yes, Elder. And though I can't approve of what your way of living does to the males of your society, I am not the one to judge. This is your way of living, and who am I to tell you how you have to live?" she asked with a smile.

**  
**Cologne's respect for Ranma's mother grew. Obviously Ranma had also inherited his/her intelligence (so he/she used it) from the maternal side. Too bad that Ranma had had to grow up with nothing but the male fool Genma Saotome as a role model. Shaking herself out of these thoughts the Elder answered, "I appreciate your understanding, Saotome-san. But now to answer your question. We from the Joketsuzoku know from experience that the cursed body is fully functional. A lot of the males who became women of their own free will became mothers throughout history, so yes, the cursed body has the full biological potential."

**  
**The Saotome matriarch nodded slowly. She did not know what she should do with this knowledge, as she could at the present time not imagine her son-turned-daughter ending up pregnant. But she'd have to warn her child of the potential danger, and if she'd read the signs correctly, and she was sure that she had, then there was more than just a chance that Ranma and Kasumi liked each other, and that, as had been obvious, in more than just their birthforms. She'd have to find out for sure if her husband had exercised his fatherly duties and reconnoitred their child.

**  
**Gathering her bearings she nodded towards Cologne with a slight smile. "Thank you, Elder. This was most informative and helpful."

**  
**The matriarch of the Joketsuzoku nodded. "You're welcome." she said, not really knowing what Saotome Nodoka would do with this knowledge. This woman was as unpredictable in her behaviour as son-in… Ranma in a battle.

**  
**A curious gleam entered Nodoka's eyes, and the Elder sensed that another question was coming her way. That was apparently another trait Ranma had inherited from his/her mother. An insatiable curiosity. "Elder, I'd further like to know if Kasumi will now, that she has the curse, be able to have children in her birthform."

**  
**Cologne hid her thoughts, which circled around the suspicion that Saotome Nodoka did not only ask out of worry for Kasumi, very well. "You can rest assured, Saotome-san, that Tendo Kasumi will be able to have children in both forms should she desire so. As I explained, the cursed body of a victim of a genderging curse is fully functional, so it would allow Tendo Kasumi to father children should he wish this."

**  
**Nodoka Saotome nodded. "Thank you, Elder. I am sure it will relieve Soun that his child will still be able to become a mother. You have my gratitude for removing our worries." she said with a small smile and a polite bow.

**  
**Out of respect for the Saotome matriarch Elder Cologne bowed back. "It was this ones pleasure, Saotome-san."

**  
**Together the women exited the kitchen and found Nabiki and Kasumi still talking. The males except Mousse had retreated to the Shogi board to waste their time. The myopic Amazon boy was sitting on a chair and smiled adoringly at Shampoo at present; well, in reality the Amazon boy, who was, as so often, too vain to wear his glasses and had apparently pocketed them once more, was smiling adoringly at Soun Tendo, who was fighting the urge to run.

**  
**Shampoo was still sitting on her chair, looking bored. That changed however when Ranma re-entered the sitting room.Instantly she was back to full alert and stared adoringly at Ranma. The same could be said about Kasumi, although the Tendo daughter was less obvious. **'Great Aphrodite, this will be hard on Xian-Pu. But there is no alternative.'** the Matriarch thought.

**  
**Ranma, oblivious to that, threw himself into the chair next to Kasumi. "Ryoga knows. Didn't take the part what with no cures well, but he didn't blew anythin´ up. He was very surprised at what Akane did, but didn't accuse it to be my fault or nothin´. Lost boy has really grown up."

**  
'As have you, Ranma.'** Kasumi thought. She was really proud of Ranma. How much he had improved during the last three months!

**  
**She still saw his excitement before her minds eye when he had told her that he had stopped insulting people and that it slowly but steadily worked in his favour. The most obvious success was Ryoga, and Kasumi was proud that Ranma was approaching something akin to friendship with the lost boy.

**  
**But Kasumi remembered with sadness, how Ranma had tried time and time again to be nicer to Akane. And he _had_ been nicer, very much so, that could not be denied. He had stopped insulting her completely, but regardless, Akane had never reacted well.

**  
**Sometimes she asked herself if it would have worked out if the fathers had ordered Akane to be nicer to Ranma too. After all, something where only one side did everything to ensure success was doomed to fail.

**  
**But even if the fathers would have done so, Kasumi highly doubted that Akane would have played to the rules. And father had been much too soft with her in the past. Up until the incident with Nodoka father had been wax in Akanes´ fingers.

**  
**Then there was her temper and her uncanny ability to jump to conclusions which were to 99 wrong.  
It was quite clear that Akane was out of control and she needed to convince her father that her youngest sister needed professional help. Badly.

**  
**Now that she had said down again Nodoka looked at her son. "Ranma, I'm nowconvinced that you'll have to spend as much time in your female form as possible if you ever want to get used to your curse. The same applies for Kasumi and her curse, only in reverse."

**  
**Ranma gulped. He had expected something like that, but coming from his mother, he could accept it. For his mother he'd still do everything, and if it helped Kasumi, well, the better. "Mom, but what about getting accidentally splashed with warm water? Remember when I pretended to be Ranko Tendo and the hot water pipe in the kitchen burst? Or the bout with the hot water geyser that shot you into the air? I nearly died of cardiac arrest then!"

**  
**Oh yes, Nodoka remembered that all too vividly. "I know, Ranma. Elder Cologne has several proposals to make in that regard. If you would, Elder."

**  
**Cologne nodded. "Son-in-law, as you well know, cold water is prevalent wherever you go. Usually the curse tries to force you into your cursed form, but if you stay in this form too long the curse will force you back into your uncursed form. We from the Joketsuzoku believe that the Jusenkyo curses were originally meant as punishment. It can't be a coincidence that a cursed victim gets splashed by warm water even if he or she stays in cursed form. I believe the curse was meant to break those who would not accept their Jusenkyo curse, and it succeeded many, many times. But I digress. Son-in-law, there are several possibilities for you to remain in your cursed form. As you well know it is possible to lock a cursed individual in his or her cursed form."

**  
**Ranma could only nod vigorously. Those had been some of the worst moments of his life. "Oh yes, I know."

**  
**The Elder nodded. She still regretted that she had used the Cats Tongue on Ranma. If she could go back and change one thing, she would change that one moment. How foolish she had been. But that was in the past, although it still haunted her. "However, this is not possible with a cursed individual's normal form. The magic of the curse does not work this way. The old waterproof soap was of some help in that regard, but as you well know, it wore off too quickly."

**  
**The pigtailed youth nodded. He had pricked up his ears when Cologne had said 'old waterproof soap'. "Elder, you said 'old waterproof soap'. Does that mean they have made a new one?"

**  
**Cologne cackled. "I see you're as sharp as always, son-in-law." The Elder nodded, "Yes, a new generation of waterproof soap was created by Jusenkyo Products before the happenings of Jusendo. This waterproof soap, however, has a different working principle than the old. You know that you could stay in your normal form without fear of changing into your cursed form for a given type with the original soap."

**  
**Ranma nodded. Lathering up with this stuff granted the wearer temporary immunity to the curse. "Yup, only too bad that it wore off so fast."

**  
**The Elder nodded. "Regarding the normal form you are right. But apparently it was far easier to develop a waterproof soap that freezes the cursed individual in his or her cursed form. The new soap is designed to latch onto the magic of the curse and strengthens it to the point where the curse will lock. Only temporary, of course. This new brand of Jusenkyo products was especially developed for victims of the Nannichuan and Nyannichuan, to make them get used to their curses."

**  
**Nodoka's eyes shone. That sounded ideal! "And how long does this 'lock' on the curse last?" she asked interested.

**  
**Genma on the other hand was furious. He had jumped up from the Shogi board, knocking it over in the process, and was gesticulating wildly. "My son will not be locked as a weak, worthless girl!"

**  
**Even Nabiki, who has busied herself reading the latest new regarding the stock-market, looked up with a grin of anticipation. She did not have to wait long. This time it was not Ranma who had reached the end of patience, but Nodoka. And said Saotome matriarch looked her misogynistic husband dead in the eye as she unsheathed her katana.

**  
**SHING. This simple sound managed to calm the raging fury of the present females (and one part-time female) immensely. It did however nothing to calm a certain Panda, but that was, to be honest, never the intention. "Dearest, I thought we had established this point. Do we need to go over it again?" she asked and held the katana to Genma's neck.

**  
**"Urgh!" was Genma's intelligible reply. "No... no need, No."

**  
**Nodoka nodded, sat down again and leaned the katana against the table-leg. "Good, husband." she said to a still white-faced Genma.

**  
**Soun shook his head. Genma should better learn fast that his attitude towards women would lead him into a world of pain if he continued this path. True, a martial artist's path was fraught with peril, but Genma's peril was largely self-inflicted due to his idiocy.

**  
**Sometimes Soun wondered if Genma had taken the masters lessons a bit too much to heart. Hmm, maybe it would not be a bad thing if Ranma was Genma's daughter for a time. It could do his misogynistic friend a world of good.

**  
**Besides, if his daughter Kasumi was to spend time as his son, maybe the two would hit it off. **'Yes,'** Soun mused, **'if Kasumi and Ranma would like each other even when in cursed form, the schools will be joined for sure! But this time I'll let them find out if they have feelings for each other on their own and without any pressure.'**

**  
**And a Soun Tendo in a much better mood set the Shogi board for another round, while a white-faced Genma was still recovering from near cardiac arrest.

**  
**After everything had been resolved to Nodokas' satisfaction the conversation was resumed. "So, Elder, how long does this lock last?"

**  
**Cologne thought for a moment. "If what Jusenkyo Products claimed in their product advertisement is true, one bar of soap lasts for ten days, as the magic of it latches onto the curse of the victim and not onto the skin only as the old soap did."

**  
**Nodoka smiled. "That would be ideal then. However, you mentioned that there are other options?"

**  
**The matriarch nodded. "I have some Chisuiiton water stored my tribe 'recovered' from the Musk several years ago." at seeing Ranma's expression darken the Elder hurried to continue, "It is old Chisuiiton water and its magic has degraded very much. I estimate that it would lock you for about five to six months."

**  
**Ranma gulped and presented warding signs. "No, no, no. No way! I don't wanna be locked that long! No freakin' way!"

**  
**Nodoka relented. Maybe five to six months were really a tad bit too much... "I guess you favour the soap then, Ranma?"

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded vigorously. The others wondered how he survived the backlash..."Definitely, mom!"

**  
**The Saotome Matriarch nodded. "Elder, how long would it take to have the soap delivered?"

**  
**"Jusenkyo Products has switched to a new delivery. They made a contract with Fed-Ex, and due to that the delivery only takes four days. But in the meantime I can help out. I have some sample packages at the Nekohanten, and they'd be suffice for both son-in-law and Kasumi, at least for starters. I honestly never thought I'd need them, but Nerima surprises me time and time again." the Amazon leader said.

**  
**"Me too!" was the sentiment of everyone present.

**  
**One point however had made Ranma curious. "Old ghoul, how come the Jusenkyo guys still have a market for that soap? I mean, what with happened at Jusendo, the springs are gone!"

**  
**Cologne nodded. She had anticipated this question. "You're right, son-in-law. There are however other Nannichuan and even Nyannichuan springs in the world. You know at least of the Japanese Nannichuan."

**  
**"But that didn' work!" Ranma exclaimed.

**  
**The Joketsuzoku Elder grinned, not a particularly nice sight. "You're right. And now you know that that was a good thing, ne?That does however not change the point that a workingJapanese Nannichuan once existed." Cologne paused. "There is also another Nyannichuan spring in the Amazon forests. Quite appropriate location, don't you think?" she cackled while the others face-faulted. "Pardon the pun. There are also several other Springs spread throughout the world. And don't forget the victims who had already been cursed at Jusenkyo before the happenings at Jusendo. You see, there is still a market for Jusenkyo products, and that will probably remain so for a long time to come."

**  
**"Ooookay..." Ranma said.

**  
**Nodoka nodded. "Good. Could you order this new waterproof soap? At least enough to last for three months for both Ranma and Kasumi. If we need more, we can always place a repeat order." she said, and Cologne nodded. "Ranma, I have a few questions for you concerning your female form."

**  
**Ranma nodded, unsure of what was to come. "Sure, mom. Shoot."

**  
**"Ranma," Nodoka began, "I'd like to know from you if your female body is fully functional or simply superficial."she asked, even though she knew that from Elder Cologne. This was a test if Ranma had any inkling of sex-ed at all, and also served as an indicator of how much her husband would have to be punished.

**  
**"Huh?" was Ranma's most intelligible reply, and already Nodoka Saotome began to expect the worst. Despite Kasumi's training, there was still a lot that Ranma did not understand. And how should he? Ranma had never had a sex-ed class at Principle Coconuts' school, and it had not been Kasumi's place to give Ranma the 'talk'…

**  
**"Have you experienced your first period?" Nodoka tried to clarify.

**  
**The expression still did not change. Hmm, time to try the big guns at point-blank range. Nodoka got up from her chair, grabbed a convenient glass of water and upended it over her sons' head, who then turned into her daughter. "Ranma, dear, have you bled down there?" she said and pointed at her son-turned-daughters crotch.

**  
**Ranma was confused, and Genma scrambled for the exit. "Come, Tendo, time to get drunk. _Really_ drunk!" he exclaimed and dragged Soun out of the door, clearly planning not to return before next day. For Genma Saotome had heard enough. _More_ than enough, actually.

**  
**He knew that his wife was now convinced that their son was also their daughter, and he knew his wife well enough to know that it made no sense to argue with her at all once she had made a decision. He'd, as always, give in and have his peace and quiet. And thus he simply stormed off, weeping for his poor, manly son who'd soon be turned into a flower loving sissy of a girl.

**  
**Mousse made a motion to follow the fathers. "I needn't know that... I needn't know that..." the half-blind Amazon chanted.

**  
**"And where do you think you're going, Mr. Part-time?"Cologne asked with a stern face.

**  
**"To the next bar. I need something strong!" Mousse replied.

**  
**"Too too stupid Mousse. Mousse don't drink!"

**  
**"Then it's high time I started!" the myopic boy exclaimed and was gone.

**  
**Cologne sighed and massaged her temples. **'I don't have a headache. Elders don't get a headache. Ahh, that's better.' **

**  
**Shampoo looked at her great-grandmother. "Hibachan let stupid duck-boy go?"

**  
**The Elder sighed. "Why should I bother? Males are always so awfully insecure regarding this specific female topic. And it will be much fun to torture the boy when he has a hangover tomorrow." she cackled.

**  
**Shampoo nodded to herself. Hibachan was right. Now that the stupid males were gone... one sec. "Hibachan, why should Airen get period? Is husband, not wife!"

**  
**Ranma still did not understand and wanted to say just that, but her mother was faster. "Shampoo, a man who can understand the difficulty of a woman's 'time' is less likely to wave it off and will be more understanding. Won't you agree?" Nodoka explained, and Shampoo nodded after a moment of thought. She could see the Saotome Matriarchs' point. "Ranma, as you were interrupted with your answer, I'll ask again. Have you experienced your first period?" her mother asked.

**  
**The pigtailed girls' confusion had grown steadily. "Mom, what's a period?" she asked.

**  
**Everyone boggled. "I'd say that's a definite no." Nabiki said dryly.

**  
**That surprised Cologne most of all. "She did not even experience her period throughout the Cats tongue?" she asked.

**  
**"Cats tongue?" Nodoka asked.

**  
**"It is something I am not proud of, Saotome-san." Cologne admitted.

**  
**"Naw, its okay, old ghoul. I have forgiven you." Ranma said with a smile that warmed even the Elders heart.

**  
**This only strengthened her resolve to carry out her plan. She was now really sure that she could never bring Ranma into the tribe as Xian-Pus Airen. Ranma would never accept to be a mere husband, and if they forced him (she doubted that they could), he/she could bring down the whole tribe if angered enough.

**  
**This saddened her for her great-granddaughter, for she knew how much she loved Ranma. But the only way to resolve the situation would be to bring Ranma into the tribe as a warrior, as their ally. "Thank you for forgiving an old woman her foolishness, son-in-law."

**  
**Ranma still smiled. Today was a day of surprises. She would have never thought to hear Cologne of all people apologise. "You're welcome, Cologne-san." she said, although she still did not understand what that period stuff meant.

**  
**"I think I might have an explanation why Ranma did not experience a period until now." Kasumi cut in, and everyone looked at her.

**  
**Nabiki nearly grinned to herself. Finally her sister was coming out of her shell and showing her true self. She clearly remembered this kind of forwardness from her childhood, before their mother had died and before Kasumi had been forced into this housewife role. It seemed as if her true sister was finally coming back. "I think that Ranma was at the end of what would have been her cycle when the Cats Tongue was applied. And when it was finally lifted, nearly four weeks later, a new cycle had not begun yet." Kasumi explained.

**  
**Cologne nodded in understanding. "That makes sense." Then a thought hit the Elder. "Son-in-law, has someone given you the 'talk'?" she asked, half-dreading the answer. Knowing the worthless male that called himself Ranma's father, she suspected no.

**  
**"Umm... talk? Which talk? And about what?" Ranma asked, completely clueless. Periods? Cycle? Bled? What for Kami-samas' sake did they want? This was just like in these strange commercials she never understood and which only served to utterly confuse her.

**  
**Nodoka blanched. As did all other females. "WHAT!" she then screamed, "Do you mean Genma did _never_ tell you what happens to boys and girls when they reach adolescence? Especially not after you got the curse and had to face going through puberty two times?" Ranma shook her head in a NO, surprised at her mothers' outburst. "GENMA!" Nodoka yelled, unsheathing her katana and waving it at the ceiling threateningly. And somewhere in Nerima, in a bar, to be precise, Genma Saotome sneezed.

**  
**"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed, voicing the thoughts of all present.

**  
**¹ those of you who wonder about Ryoga's behaviour towards Ranma and have only read this chapter, read Chapter 1. Everything's explained there.

**  
to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	7. The 'talk'

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 7: The 'talk'**

**  
**Nodoka Saotome was shaking her head. Never in her whole life would she have imagined that Genma would have... could have been so ignorant towards her child's education. She had hardly been able to believe Kasumi when the oldest Tendo daughter had told her just how much Ranma did not know.

**  
**But after she had come to see a lot of examples for her child's lack of knowledge in the last months she had been all the more glad that Kasumi had started to tutor Ranma. Although it was now very obvious that Ranma was still ignorant towards a lot of life's facts. Facts that her child needed to know. And it all seemed to be Genma's fault.

**  
**She would have to have a loooong talk with her dear husband. One that he would not forget so soon. But first things first. First she needed to give her son-turned-daughter the 'talk'. "Ranma, this will probably be a bit embarrassing for you. If you want to, we can talk upstairs."

**  
**Ranma was still unsure what was going on. She still had no inkling of what they meant with the 'talk'. And what had talking to do with all this weird stuff like 'cycle', 'period' and all this? Inwardly she sighed. The life of a martial artist was indeed fraught with peril. But sadly all this peril seemed to be caused by her idiot father. Stupid panda!

**  
**Nabiki looked at the pigtailed girl with an amused expression. **'A _bit_ embarrassing? Make that lots'**. the middle Tendo daughter thought. "Saotome, believe me, you _want_ to go upstairs. Trust me on this one." she said. She still remembered how Kasumi had given her the 'talk'. It had been... interesting. And she would never record the talk between Nodoka and her son-turned-daughter. Not even she was so unethical.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch looked at her son-turned-daughter, who shrugged. She had no opinion towards this 'talk' and would let herself be surprised. Cologne however stopped Nodoka with a cough. "Yes, Elder Cologne?"

**  
**"Just Cologne, child." the Elder smiled.

**  
**"Only if you call me Nodoka." the Saotome matriarch countered, also smiling.

**  
**"Of course. Nodoka-san, I can clear one point up. The cursed body of a Jusenkyo victim _is_, as I told you, fully functional. It is _imperative_ that you give son-in-law the 'talk'."

**  
**Nodoka nodded. She had wanted to do so anyway as soon as possible, as she had suspected something like that even before her conversation with the Elder. The body of the female Ranma was far too convincing to be only superficial. And what Cologne had told her had made it final. Ranma had the full biological potential of a woman and really was her daughter when in girl form. And her child _needed_ to know the facts of life. "That I will do. Follow me, Ranma. Kasumi, could you help me?"

**  
**Ranma shrugged once more and followed her mother, as did Kasumi. The oldest Tendo daughter already knew what Nodoka wanted and had planned ahead. "You can use my room, Auntie. The bed has been replaced and the flooring is repaired, so feel free to use it. I'll go and get the necessary items."

**  
**The Saotome matriarch smiled. She _had_ been right. There was much, _much _more to Kasumi Tendo than met the eye. Ever since she had known Kasumi she had suspected that the oldest Tendo daughter was at least as clever and cunning as Nabiki, if need be.

**  
**But unlike Nabiki, the oldest Tendo daughter did not hide her intelligence behind an indifferent mask of ice, but behind a mask of serenity, pleasantness and apparent obliviousness. That Kasumi had caught on as quickly as she had, had only proven the point.

**  
**Nodoka and Ranma entered Kasumi's room, and both sat down on the new bed. "Ranma," the Saotome matriarch began and smiled reassuringly at her son-turned-daughter, "I know it is difficult, but you need to know this. There are things about a girls' body that you don't know, things that I would have taught you had you been born my daughter. As it is, due to your curse you _are_ my daughter from time to time. And you will be at least for half of the time for the rest of your life. That is why you must know your female body, Ranma. You just can't afford to ignore it, daughter, for it will be a part of you forever."

**  
**Ranma nodded reluctantly. She still felt primarily as a guy, but she could see her mothers point. If she had the curse for the rest of her life, she had to know this body rather than ignore it. Ignoring it could lead to great danger for herself, that she had come to know in the past.

**  
**As Nodoka wanted to continue, Kasumi entered the room with examples of feminine hygiene and sanitary supplies. Ranma did not know what they were, but she had the distinct feeling that she _would_ know soon enough. Most probably sooner than she'd have liked. Nodoka nodded and smiled at the oldest Tendo child and mouthed a 'thanks'.

**  
**The eldest Tendo daughter laid the items on the new bed, nodded towards Nodoka and excused herself, but before she left she gave Ranma an encouraging smile. Nodoka noticed it and also the answering smile of her son-turned-daughter, and the Saotome matriarch smiled to herself. Then she braced herself for the 'talk' with her child. "Ranma-chan," Ranma winced at the female suffix, "I'll give you the same talk my mother gave me. Kami-sama knows I never expected I would have to give it to you, as you were born my son, but it seems Fate had other plans."

**  
**And with this Nodoka Saotome began to give her son-turned-daughter the 'talk'. And Ranma grew progressively whiter the more Nodoka told her. When Nodoka had ended, Ranma was as white as chalk and looked nearly as inanimate.

**  
**Then life slowly returned and for a few moments Ranma only sputtered incoherently before she had gathered her bearings enough to form something at least resembling a coherent sentence. "Oh my Kami-sama... you mean to say that girls... that... that..." all of Ranma's' higher brain-functions were abruptly shut down once more, and nothing more came forth. Add to it that she had started to colour again, but not in a healthy way. Ranma looked now decidedly green.

**  
**Nodoka nodded empathically. "I know, Ranma. But it is normal for girls."

**  
**"But I am a guy, mom!" Ranma wailed.

**  
**Nodoka smiled. "Who turns into a _girl_ when splashed with cold water. I thought we had established that you're my son as well as my daughter, dear. Besides, it is something _all_ girls go through."

**  
**Ranma still could not think very clearly. "Ya... ya _really_ mean ta say... that girls are... down there... every month? Eugh!" she exclaimed, and once more Ranma had slipped into slang due to the pressure the situation was exerting on her.

**  
**Nodoka stroked her son-turned-daughter's back and then put her arms around her child. "I won't deny that statement, Ranma-chan. It _is_ messy and all around a pain in the... well, you know where." **'Or at least you soon will.'** she added mentally.

**  
**Then she smiled in a (what she hoped) encouraging way. "But it _is_ also normal for a woman, my child. Ranma, you _must_ get used to your curse, else it will destroy you. You heard Elder Cologne. There _is_ no cure, so you'll be a girl for half of the time for the rest of your life. And I know you well enough to know for sure that you are no one to sit and hide in a house. You will always be prone to changing genders. Isn't it so?"

**  
**Reluctantly Ranma nodded. Her mother had got that right. She'd never hide in a house only to remain a guy for as much time as possible. Especially since she slowly had gotten used to her female side after Jusendo. There and then she had already sensed that her chances to get cured of the curse were nearly zero, and after what Cologne had told them she knew that her chances were now zero or below. And she really believed Cologne, as the Elder had nothing to gain through lying to them.

**  
**No, she'd never hide in a house, and her mother knew this. Yes, her mother was right, she'd change genders at random for the rest of her life, as things looked. "Yeah, mom. It is so." she said with a sigh.

**  
**Her mother gave her an understanding smile and hugged her once more. Now that her child had accepted this it was time to crumble another of her defences. Time for the big guns. "My child, this whole enterprise is to allow you to understand your femininity as well as your masculinity. You are both sides of a coin, Ranma-chan. Elder Cologne has made this clear to me. But you can't really understand your femininity without experiencing one of the most important experiences in a woman's life. And besides, billions of women go through this on a regular basis. Even girls a lot younger than you. Do you mean to say that you are weaker than them? Or even me?"

**  
**Instantly Ranma felt challenged, and her eyes lit up. Now Nodoka knew for sure that she had pushed the right buttons. Yes, she had read her child correctly. Ranma never backed down from a challenge, and she had presented her child one.

**  
**Had Nodoka Saotome known her child a bit better she would have known that the look Ranma wore now was exactly the same look that Ranma had worn any time when he/she had entered a crucial battle. Like the all decisive battles against Herb or Saffron, for example. It was the look that said 'I can take on anything'.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch had her child now where she wanted Ranma, hook, line and sinker. "No way!" Ranma exclaimed in the breast-note of confirmedness. "If Shampoo, Ukyo or even a lunatic like Kodachi can do it, so can I! Bah, if even the uncute tomboy can do it, Ranma Saotome can too! Now please explain those thingies, mom."

**  
**Nodoka nodded and did just that. In the end Ranma decided that she would use a sanitary towel when her time of the month would come. She had shuddered when her mother had explained the tampon. No freaking way was she gonna insert a thing like that _there_!The thought alone was enough to drive her up the walls.

**  
**Her mother also mentioned the possibility of cramps that would most likely precede the actual period or even be a concomitant as well as maybe a headache or even migraine that might accompany her time. As well as the possibility of severe mood-swings that might occur. Just dandy. But her mother also mentioned that there were several medications like midol, for example, which would make it somewhat easier.

**  
**Although Ranma did not like it (and she mused that a lot of girls around the globe didn't like it either) she grudgingly accepted it as being a part of the challenge to find her femininity. And she'd face this challenge like every other challenge she'd ever faced: head on and with everything she got.

**  
**Then, much to Ranmas eternal embarrassment, her mother began to explain all the sensitive areas of a girls' body, the different body parts and their functions. The pigtailed girl was sure that she could have lighted up a street with her blush, and she couldn't help but to exclaim a soft "Oh my!" when her mother had finished her explanations.

**  
**Her mother understood this all too well, after all, she had reacted the same way when _her_ mother had explained the basics to her. Thus she embraced her still blushing daughter and softly stroked her hair until Ranma had slowly gathered her bearings again. Which was quite necessary, as another important topic had still to be broached. Namely the explanation of where the grandchildren came from.

**  
**Nodoka had decided that she would only explain the part of the female, as she was sure that Ranma could get enough information about the male part from it. Aside from that, she was simply uncomfortable with explaining the other part explicitly. And if Ranma would not gather what the male part was it would be high time that dearest did his part and explained it.

**  
**Inwardly the Saotome matriarch hoped that her husband would act upon his duties, though she knew him well enough to know that he'd probably not. But luckily there were still other sources of information, like the internet, for example. Maybe even Kasumi, who was now half a man herself, could be of help in this regard.

**  
**But however it might turn out, Nodoka Saotome wanted her daughter to be well informed. Even if her Ranma might never act on her biological potential, she had to know the facts of life.

**  
**And then Nodoka explained the basics of physical love and pleasure to her daughter, who blushed once more a bright red. No, even if she had the biological potential to do _that_ she could never imagine herself doing _it_ as a female. At the moment she looked nearly physically sick at the thought of letting any guy near... near it. No, sooner it would snow in hell.

**  
**After Nodoka was certain that Ranma had understood everything, she had to broach another topic. "Daughter, I want you to be _very_ careful with your female body. Only because you were born my son and because you are a top-notch martial artist it does not mean that you could not get raped. There might always be situations in which you might end up helpless, so please, don't be overconfident in your abilities and try your utmost to avoid such situations. There are a lot of bad people out there in the world, people who won't hesitate to use underhanded tricks to get what they want. You could even end up pregnant, Ranma-chan. I talked with Elder Cologne, and she told me that your cursed form is completely female, including the biological potential. So promise me that you will be very careful." she said with obvious care in her voice and eyes.

**  
**Ranma had blanched again when the implications of what her mother had said had sunken in. Instinctively she clenched her thighs shut, and her resolve grew further.No way in hell was she gonna let any guy do _that_ to her. Never! Then she composed herself and nodded solemnly. "I promise, mother."** 'And I promise that I'll blow any freak up that tries to get into my boxers!' **she added mentally and with conviction.

**  
**Before her mother had given her the talk and before she had somewhat begun to accept the fact that her female side would be with her forever her strong self-image as a male had never made the assumption that the reason why so many boys were flirting with her girl-side was because they wanted to do… _that_ with her. Disgusting little freaks!

**  
**Then she stopped herself as she realised that such thoughts were along the lines of what Akane would think of boys, and she also remembered that one simply could not lump every boy together. After all, she was no pervert when she was a boy.

**  
**Hmm, instead of blowing every boy up who'd make advances towards her she'd rather decline said advances and reinforce her declinature if need be. Yes, that was a good course of action. And maybe she'd also get some good training out of those who were too dumb to get the wink…

**  
**Meanwhile Nodoka had nodded at the answer of her child and embraced Ranma once more. She was really glad that Kasumi had managed to talk her out of this whole manliness fixation, for thus she'd have the chance to come to know the daughter Ranma could have been had she been born female.

**  
**At first she had been stubborn, and she knew that she had not made it easy for Kasumi during their talks. But when the oldest Tendo child, who Nodoka had viewed as another traditional Japanese woman before she had received her curse, and who she respected very much, had compared her view of manliness to the teachings and opinions of her husbands master Happosai, she had had to admit that Kasumi was right.

**  
**It had taken some more talks after that, but finally her defences had crumbled. After that she had made a clean slate, and from there on Kasumi and she had developed a concept of manliness respectively gentlemanliness that could be applied to Ranma even with his Jusenkyo curse. And the concept of her child striving to become a gentle person rather than a man among men was something from which Ranma would benefit so much more.

**  
**During their talks Kasumi had made Nodoka realise just how much pressure and stress her constant insistence on Ranma being manly had put on her child, something that she now knew was doomed to fail. For how should her child remain manly if he was in constant danger of changing genders?

**  
**She had come to know that the water-magnet part of the curse was a fact, so what should Ranma have done to satisfy her former view of manliness? Change back immediately? Would only work for so long and was a very temporary solution. Hide in a house to remain in male form? That thought alone was, given Ranma's character and energy, utterly ridiculous.

**  
**No, the new concept Kasumi and she had developed worked in Ranma's favour, as her child was now able to get a grip onto his/her life while still being someone who could be an example. What Cologne had said about the curses had sealed it, and Nodoka meant it when she said that she viewed Ranma as well as a daughter and as a son.

**  
**But there still remained some more things Ranma had to know about her female side. "Good, daughter." she said with a smile. "I am sure you already have noticed several differences between your current gender and the birthform in the time that you have had your curse. How did you come to terms with the different way of plumbing, for example? And please, keep an eye onto your language skills. No daughter of mine speaks like a roughneck. Understood?"

**  
**The pigtailed girl looked somewhat embarrassed and then she smiled sheepishly. "Yes, mother. At first it was no problem, as pop and me travelled through the wilderness of China. And par for the course it was the rainy season while we travelled, which means I was a girl most of the time. One time for nearly three whole weeks! Except for when pop and me pitched up the tents and were able to heat some water, that is. But now I know what could have happened had I finished my cycle, and I'm sure I would have died of embarrassment! I would probably have thought I had some internal injury and were dying or something. And baka oyaji would probably have run off screaming had I told him I was bleeding… ah… down there. Idiot panda. I can't believe he never told me the facts of life. Honestly!"

**  
**The Saotome matriarch nodded. "Yes, dear, I can imagine that your father would have reacted… badly to you starting your period. Ever since he started training under this perverted master of his he became so darn medieval in his attitude towards women. He even thanked the Kami when you were born our son. Although I can understand that he wanted a son and heir. But I think between the two of us we will manage to convince him that women are anything but weak. Ne, daughter?"

**  
**Ranma could not help herself, she had to smile at what her mother had said. Maybe it was some sort of cosmic justice that she was, now and forever, also the daughter of Genma Saotome. Heh, served the stupid misogynistic panda right.

**  
**She was still somewhat unused to that her mother would call her 'daughter', but did it really matter as long as her mother loved her as she was? She had hoped for so long that she would be accepted by her mother as she was before she had been judged, and now her mother had even accepted her curse and viewed her as both her son and her daughter, depending on the weather or the odd cold-water-accident. It would take some getting used to, but she was sure that she would manage. After all, it was far better than ending up being forced to commit Seppuku.

**  
**Thus she smiled about what her mother had said. "Even though I still say that I'm a guy in here," she said and pointed to her temple, "I must admit that I liked to teach baka oyaji a lesson as a girl. And I'll be glad to repeat it as often as need be. You know, sometimes I think that we got cursed for a reason. Baka pop because he already was fat and lazy from day one of our training trip and because he rolled off all his problems to me, and I because I really thought that girls were weak and worthless. The only difference between us is that I have learned from my mistakes. What do you say to the idea of a repeat performance of what I did to him? We could call it the Anything Goes panda socialisation, fried panda guaranteed." she said in a sweet tone while cracking her knuckles.

**  
**Nodoka nodded with a glint in her eyes. Having Ranma teach her father some manners and correct behaviour on how to treat women was a good idea, considering her strength. That could do her dear husband a world of good, even if he would have to go through a world of hurt to learn it.

**  
**But how had dearest always said: 'the path of a true martial artist is fraught with peril'. It seemed Genma would come to know with exactly how much peril it was _really_ fraught. "You have my permission to handle his reeducation. I have been much too lax with him ever since he returned from the training trip because I was simply so glad that you two had returned, but now it really is time that he stopped being so misogynistic. We live in the 21st century after all, and his attitude is unbearable. I can imagine that he gave you a hard time when you were a girl during your way back to Japan, my dear."

**  
**Her son-turned-daughter nodded and grimaced in remembrance. "He'd always demand that I change back immediately into his manly son and stop being such a disgrace, such a weak, worthless girl. Even though we had absolutely no hot water available most of the time. You wouldn't believe how often I challenged him to a sparring match just to knock him out so that he stopped his idiotic harping about how weak and worthless girls are. That was also the time when I began to realise for the first time that girls are anything but what baka oyaji had always taught me. I began to doubt his teachings about women, for I had turned into a girl, and I surely was not weak. At first I thought I was the exception to the rule and still treated other girls this way, but after I met Shampoo, Akane and Ukyo and all the other girls I completely realised that pops teachings are a big pile of bullcrap. But I still kept my macho façade up so that idiot pop wouldn't harp at me more than necessary. After all, it was more than enough that he was always chewing on my ear regarding Akane and the so important 'Joining of the schools'."

**  
**Her mother nodded proudly. "Ranma, I'm really pleased that you recognised the attitude of your father regarding women as what it is. Utterly moronic. And I am truly sorry that I ever allowed your father to take you with him onto the training trip, but at this time I was a young and foolish woman. I was eighteen years old and had my head filled with visions of how manly my son would become, and your father promised me to make you the manliest man there is plus the best martial artist in the world. He convinced me to sign this stupid contract, and for ten years it was the only thing that reminded me of you, my child. In the end your father succeeded, but at too high a cost. I didn't see you for ten long years, my child, and it is all my fault. I hope you can forgive me." she said softly and dropped her head in shame and sorrow.

**  
**What her mother had said had moved Ranma deeply, and tears were glistening in the corners of her eyes when she moved to embrace her mother in a hug. "Ohh mom, of course I forgive you! I always knew that you had not abandoned me, even when I thought you were dead. And all the time I missed you so much, and I couldn't bear the thought that I'd never see you again. Pop let me believe that you had passed away, and you can't believe how happy I was when I saw you for the first time again, even if I had to pretend to be Ranko Tendo to be near you. But pop made it seem as if you'd force me to commit Seppuku should you find out that I turn into a girl. He also said that was why he let me believe that you were dead. And I believed it when I came to know you. You always carried your katana with you and boasted about how manly your son must be. I admit that it was… unsettling."

**  
**This time her mother deepened the hug, and Nodoka Saotome shed tears. "I'm so sorry for what I put you through, my child. Kasumi made it clear to me what I was still doing to you although I had deemed the contract fulfilled. She said that there was the distinct possibility that you'd be a girl for half of the time for the rest of your life, and when she pointed out that you had never had any luck with cures for your curse I slowly started to believe her. Every try to cure your curse had led to failure, and I'm sure not because of lack of trying on your part. And what Cologne said made it final. You'll be my daughter for half of the time from now on and forever, and because of this I'm very glad that you came to see that girls and women are not weak and worthless. I accept you as my daughter as well as my son, and if husband does not see reason I'll _make_ him see reason. I'm sure you are interested in helping me, aren't you, daughter?"

**  
**Ranma nodded with an evil glint in her eyes. If she liked to teach the panda a lesson and make him see reason to boot? Was the sun hot? "I'd be more than happy to, mom. And I forgive you. I'm sure you only had the best for me in mind, even if the decision to leave the carrying out to oyaji was not the best one. Rather far from it. When I have my own children you'll understand that I won't leave even an inkling of their upbringing to him, don't you, mom? That he didn't tell me even an inkling of the stuff you told me… I can't believe him."

**  
**Nodoka nodded. "Yes, my dear, I can more than understand it and I can't blame you for your attitude. But I'd be glad if you'd let me participate in the upbringing of future grandchildren. And I thank you for forgiving me." she said and placed a kiss on her daughters forehead. Inwardly she thought happy thoughts about all the grandchildren she'd be able to spoil in the future, and she was also very glad that her child had forgiven her the mistakes she had made. "But I think I can clear up why your father never told you anything about the facts of life, my child."

**  
**Now the pigtailed girl looked really interested. "What on earth could be more important than to tell their own child what is going on when their child comes into puberty? Wait, let me guess: it has something to do with some stupid training idea of pops, right?"

**  
**The Saotome matriarch grimaced. "Not too far from the truth, daughter. I only found out after your father had taken you on the trip that he had another reason why he took you with him. He kept a journal he had forgotten to take with him, and I found out some interesting things. His goal was not only to make you the best martial artist of your generation and a man among men, but he wanted to get you away from me. Dearest feared that my motherly influence on you would make you go weak and soft, and thus he decided to raise you by himself. I suspect that he never told you about the facts of life because it could have distracted you from the art, and he probably feared that you'd suddenly show interest in the 'weak and worthless girls' of the world. By keeping you ignorant he sought to minimise this 'danger'. But when you became a girl yourself at Jusenkyo husband probably blew all fuses he had. Imagine he would have needed to give you the talk there and then, after you got cursed. Then he would have had to give you the talk for both sides, and I don't think dearest would have survived it." she ended, snickering.

**  
**Ranma on her part steamed silently. "I always knew that he had a lousy opinion of women, but that he took me away from you because he thought you'd make me go soft and weak… panda no baka! And seeing women as a distraction from the art... when I see him next time I'm gonna punt him to the next ward! And hopefully he'll end up in a zoo or something!"

**  
**Nodoka took her child into her arms. "I know how you feel, daughter. When I found out about what he had planned and why I was so angry that I shredded all training dummies I had. And when I had you back and found out that the panda was indeed my husband, I showed him my displeasure. Remember that your father walked quite strangely after I found out about you?" Ranma nodded. "I showed him just _how_ displeased I was with him. But it seems he needs to be reminded from time to time. But what were your experiences as a girl in China, my child?"

**  
**Ranma leant back and grimaced. "Due to idiotic pops, who made it a constant torture, not so good experiences. He was constantly harping at me, and I really regretted that I had no staple gun ta staple his idiotic mouth shut. Even as a panda he was annoying, as he somehow learned ta write on signs. And if I did not react ta them he used them ta bop me over the head with them. It is a small wonder that I retained enough calm and did not force-feed those stupid signs ta him."she said, still steaming in remembrance at how stupid her father had acted back then. Admittedly, he did not act better nowadays, but that was beside the point.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch nodded once more. It really seemed as if severe behavioural modifications were long overdue for her husband. Should he continue his attitude towards their daughter in special and towards women in general they'd have to have a long talk on top of what she and Ranma had in mind for her dearest husband. One talk that would make the one they had had several years ago look like a walk in the park.

**  
**Oh, it would just be too nice if she could get her daughter to take up learning the Art of the sword. Then Ranma too could keep her father in line with a sharp sword. After all, a sharp katana was more often than not better than words. Especially if the user knew how to handle a sword. "I understand, Ranma-chan. And thank you for leaving him intact. Although he is an idiot, I still love him. But that does not mean that he can carry on the way he has, for his leeway is over. But I repeat myself. Continue to tell me of your experiences and remember to talk properly, daughter."

**  
**The redhead nodded. "All in all it was not too bad after a while. But when I turned into a girl for the first time and noticed that my manliness was gone I exploded. I chased baka oyaji for what seemed like hours, and that was also when we accidentally cursed Ryoga. But I was so angry at stupid pop that I didn't even notice! Due to him I had turned into what he had taught me to despise! I had turned into what I believed to be a weak and worthless girl. But as said, over time I learned that his teachings were worth a shit."

**  
**Nodoka nodded. "As I said, daughter, I will ensure that he will never teach your children anything without your explicit permission. What I learned of your training trip from Kasumi was gruesome, to say the least."

**  
**Ranma grimaced. **'You don't know the half of it.'** she thought. "You can say that again, mom. As for the plumbing, during the time in the wilderness it was no problem, I'd just pee wherever I wanted, even if it was totally different from what I was used to. But the worst happened when idiot pop and me returned to civilisation and I used a public restroom for the first time. I had tried to use the men's bathroom, but got stopped by some man who reminded me of my gender. And it didn't help any when I said that I was a guy." she said with a lopsided smile and paused to take a breath.

**  
**"Thus I had no choice but to use the women's bathroom, and I didn't want to risk changing back in the ladies bathroom as it was rather full at that time. If I had changed back they probably would have cried 'pervert!' and hunted me down. But when I tried to pee in the lavatory I peed all over my shoes! And those were new ones I had bought from the money I had saved during the trip! Money I had had to hide from baka oyaji for months! You can imagine that the baka panda had to run for his life after this incident. And you wouldn't believe how fast he can run…" she ended with a smirk.

**  
**Nodoka smiled, and she didn't know why, but mentally she saw her daughter Ranma chasing a panda with a katana. Odd. "But I can, Ranma. Several years ago, before your trip, I had a talk with him after he had displeased me with his attitude, and your father had tried to run for it. I convinced him that running was not an option, and he remembered it very well for the following months. I see that you overcame these specific differences. Aside from the obvious physical differences there are also a lot of other differences which are not so obvious on first look. But I trust Kasumi will be of great help in that regard. From our talks I know for a fact that she has great medical knowledge, so ask and listen to her, or rather him, if you have questions. Beside what happens to your body when you'll start your first period there are a lot of things you should know, daughter. They are not things you have to worry about, but facts of life you should know. And believe me when I say that Kasumi is better qualified than me to tell you these things."

**  
**Ranma nodded. She too had noticed long ago that there was a lot more to Kasumi than met the eye, and it would surely be fun to find out just how much more. That might prove to be a decent challenge. "Okay, mom. But one thing is for sure: if I ever have a daughter and pops starts ranting at her that she is a weak and worthless girl and a disgrace to the Saotome name, then I will give the idiot Panda a one-way-trip to the moon, all expenses paid. Ever since I knew that he had taught me shit and especially ever since the tutoring sessions with Kasumi I asked myself how I should have a successful relationship with a girl if I treated her the way pop had taught me. Do you think it is any wonder why I had such a bad start with Akane? No, his attitude has to change. And to say that I'd love to expel his woman hating ways out of him is like saying that green is sometimes used by plants. I don't want to be treated this way by him and I sure as hell don't want my future children to be treated so. Count me in, mom." she said with a devilish grin.

**  
**Her mother nodded once more. She was very satisfied with the 'talk' and with her child. "I'm happy to, Ranma. And I'm glad that you could accept what I had to tell you. You are my daughter as much as my son, and I love to have the chance to come to know both sides of you. And this won't change ever. I promise." she said and got up. Then both Saotome women embraced each other in a hug. No words were needed as both mother and son-turned-daughter silently told the other how much they loved the one another.

**  
**When Nodoka released Ranma from the hug she noticed that evening was approaching, and she felt tired. The Saotome matriarch could hardly believe that all that had only happened in one day. And what a day it had been! A day of realisations and change. **'Maybe a change for the better. Finally.'** she mused.

**  
**Suddenly Ranma's stomach growled rather loudly. "Oops." she said, smiling sheepishly.

**  
**Nodoka laughed. "No need to be embarrassed. I admit that I'm quite hungry too. Which is no wonder after that day."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "I'll go and see if I can help Kasumi in the kitchen. See ya downstairs mom!"

**  
**And with that her energetic part-time-daughter bounded out of the room and down the stairs. It was a small wonder how good Ranma had turned out despite of what she now knew Genma had provided as an upbringing. And under Kasumi's tutelage her child had improved dramatically.

**  
**Yes, the oldest Tendo girl might be the right choice in a wife for her child. But Nodoka had learned her lessons. _This_ time, she would leave the decision to Ranma. And naturally Kasumi. That did not mean, however, that she could not give them a certain push wherever it was needed.

**  
**Nodoka also saw a problem that might hinder the progress Ranma and Kasumi needed to make with the acceptance of their curses and hopefully with their personal lives.

**  
**How should they get used to their curses with the constant interferences that were so prominent in the Nerima ward? Hmm, that needed thinking. Sooner or later she would come up with something, she was sure. Caught up in her thoughts and inwardly quite proud of Ranma, Nodoka went downstairs.

**  
A bit earlier... **

**  
**With a growling stomach Ranma bounded down the stairs and jumped down the last few steps. The stares that greeted her were however not what she had expected. "What?" she asked, after the staring continued.

**  
**Nabiki finally voiced what all were thinking. "I guess what we all want to know, Saotome... how did it go?" she asked smirking.

**  
**Ranma blushed somewhat. "Not too bad. But I gotta admit... there is _much_ more to being a woman than I'd thought!" she admitted.

**  
**Cologne nodded. "So you'll follow our advice, son-in-law?"

**  
**The redhead nodded back. "I will. If millions 'n millions of women can go through it, so can _I_!"

**  
**The Joketsuzoku matriarch had to hide her smirk. So Nodoka had discovered how to push Ranma's buttons, had she? Confront the child with a challenge that was to her benefit, and you had Ranma hook, line and sinker. "I believe you can, child."

**  
**Shampoo boggled, hardly able to believe it. "Airen live as girl-type then?"

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Yup. And I bet that will annoy baka oyaji to no end!" she exclaimed happily. "Now excuse me, I'll go and see if I can help Kasumi in the kitchen."

**  
**That brought grins to the faces of everyone save for Shampoo, of course, who's brain was still shut down from what Ranma had said. Nabiki however, was soon hanging to her own thoughts. She had seen how Kasumi had reacted towards Ranma, in both forms.

**  
**She was not quite innocent regarding the failure of Akane's and Ranma's relationship, but she vowed that she would help her older sister (and now sometimes brother) where she could. Now she knew how Ranma really was, and she'd do her damn best to ensure her sister, or brother, depending on the weather, and Ranma would have all the chances. Therefore she'd have to device a plan which would eliminate all the crazies from the picture. Nodding to herself as the first ideas formed she busied herself with planning.

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma had entered the kitchen, and was somewhat surprised to see a male Kasumi standing at the stove. Kasumi-otoko looked up from the stove and smiled. "I really would never have thought that the curse would turn one into such a water-magnet. It is unbelievable!" he exclaimed with his deep baritone, and Ranma smiled back. Yes, that she knew from experience.

**  
**Ranma nodded. "I know what you mean. I have literally seen water flow up the hills to reach me. The others find it hard to believe, but curse-victims really _do_ turn into water-magnets." she said. "What was it in your case?"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko grinned, showing two lines of perfectly white teeth. Even the ponytail suited him in this form, although it was a tidbit too long. But it made him look good. "I just took out the garbage after I came from upstairs and got splashed. The hot-water kettle is nearly ready, so we can change back soon."

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist nodded once more. "I wanted to ask if I could help you with the lunch, Kasumi."

**  
**Now it was Kasumi's turn to nod. "That's nice of you. If you want, you can prepare the salad. Wait, I'll get it for you from the fridge."

**  
**Kasumi did just that. In passing by he slightly brushed Ranma. He didn't notice at first and sure didn't do it voluntarily, but he noticed the spark that went through his body upon the contact.

**  
**The same could be said for Ranma. She knew that Kasumi would never do something like that of her, or better his, own accord, but that did not change the fact that it send sparks through her body and simply felt good.

**  
**"Ranma, I..." Kasumi-otoko began.

**  
**"Kasumi, I..." Ranma said at the same time.

**  
**Both blushed, and Kasumi was the first to talk. "You first, Ranma-chan. After all, you're the lady at the moment." he said, a smile playing in the corner of his mouth.

**  
**Ranma blushed some more. "Kasumi, I wanted to say how much it means to me that you stood by me all the time. And that you gave me this training. And so much more I can't even count. I promise that I will do everything I can to help you. And I want to say that I like you."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled. It was not the serene smile of Kasumi-chan, but equally capturing. "Thank you, Ranma. That means a lot. And I like you too." he said and hugged her.

**  
**At first Ranma was surprised, but then she hugged Kasumi-otoko back. And it felt _good_. Even more so than the brief brush a few moments ago. _Why_ did it feel so good? Heck, who cared. As long as it did...

**  
**It was also a very good feeling for Kasumi-otoko, equally good compared to the feeling when Ranma-kun had hugged her female form some time ago after she had been cursed. Who knew, maybe she or rather he, at the moment had a chance at Ranma...

**  
**Had Nodoka seen Ranma and Kasumi in this position, she would have squealed in joy and would have probably begun to select names for grandchildren. But Kasumi and Ranma soon noticed that they were enjoying the hug a wee bit too much and separated politely, but not without a slight blush.

**  
**"Ehh," Ranma said, "you said you wanted me to prepare the salad, Kasumi?" she asked with a somewhat teasing undertone.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko blushed once more. "Oh my, yes, Ranma. One moment." he answered.

**  
**This time the venture to the fridge went by without any incident (much to both Ranma's and Kasumi's silent regret) and Kasumi handed the salad to Ranma. "Thanks. And here's your first lesson in manliness, although you handle your male form quite well," said Ranma while she applied her martial arts skill to preparing the salad, "a guy does not say 'Oh my'. 'Oops' or 'Yeah' is allowed, but not 'Oh my'. Okay, Kasumi?"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. It seemed he had a lot to learn about being a guy, but as had Ranma about being a girl. He was sure that they could teach one another a lot, if only the chaos Nerima was so well renowned for would not inevitably come in their way. "Okay. But you realise that you'll have to go the full way when our training begins, don't you? That does mean _no_ boxers. You'll have to wear the proper female undergarments, Ranma."

**  
**At seeing Ranma's blank look Kasumi clarified and could not suppress a smirk. "Panties and bra, Ranma-chan. Every woman's normal undergarments." he said, using the female suffix voluntarily.

**  
**Ranma shook her head frenetically. "I ain't gonna wear no girl's underwear!"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled. He knew how to counter that one. "Ranma-chan, when you focus on learning a new technique, do you only learn the parts that are of interest to you or do you strive to learn it as a whole?" he asked, keeping his voice and face straight while preparing the trap.

**  
**The expression on Ranmas face showed that she'd taken the bait. And that hook, line and sinker. Ranma was indeed thinking about martial arts techniques. The Bakusai Tenketsu for example. Even if you had learned the technique, it was worthless without the toughening part. "That ain't hard. Of course ya gotta learn the whole thing. Else it's worthless as ya might miss sumthin important. But what has that gotta do..."

**  
**Then it obviously dawned on her, and she locked eyes with Kasumi. "Ya mean what I think ya mean, doncha?"

**  
**The oldest Tendo sibling nodded, and once more he noticed that Ranma's command of the language slipped when the Saotome youth was under stress. They'd have to do something about it. "Yes, Ranma-chan. And please watch your language. You slipped into slang again. Besides, there is another, more practical reason why you shouldn't wear boxers while you're locked as a girl."

**  
**Ranma looked sheepish for a moment, but then her resolve grew. Her mother had brought the point home, and Kasumi had now cemented it. "I understand the part what with learning it as a whole and accept it. But what is the other reason?"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded smiling before answering. "Your mother just told you everything about what will happen when you'll start your time. And as I am quite sure that you haven't chosen the tampon," here Ranma winced, "which I can fully understand, you will need to wear panties. Pads and boxers just won't work together, Ranma-chan. Besides, I imagine that wearing boxers for three or more months straight will be very uncomfortable."

**  
**Slowly Ranma nodded. What Kasumi had said made sense. "Okay, I'll do it. But not before we lock ourselves. You saw yourself how superb it is to be a guy in panties, so you surely understand my point of view."

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded. "Yes, I understand your point of view perfectly. That was not just uncomfortable, that was hell!" he exclaimed, shuddering in remembrance.

**  
**Now that Ranma seemed to have accepted the necessity Kasumi-otoko could see how determined Ranma was. And indeed, Ranma was thinking along the lines of **'If the girls and women of the world can do it, Ranma Saotome can do it too! I'll learn how to be a girl as a whole and I'll treat it as a challenge. And I'll win. After all, Ranma Saotome does not lose!' **

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	8. Nabiki's plan and Kuno’s confusion

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 8: Nabiki's plan and Kuno's confusion**

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi prepared the lunch without any further incidents, but with occasional glances at the other when they respectively thought the other was not watching.

**  
**Both had returned to their birth-forms when the kettle with warm water had been ready. Kasumi still marvelled that the change she underwent was painless, and she had nearly gotten used to the soft tingling sensation that ran through the whole body when the change occurred.

**  
**Soon lunch was prepared, and Ranma and Kasumi began serving the meal. All present except Shampoo, who still did not recognise that the 'nice girl' was rapidly becoming a rival noticed how Ranma and Kasumi were looking at each other without realising it and were drawing their conclusions.

**  
**It was a very good thing that Genma was not present; else there might have been another wedding in the making. Even if the likewise absent Soun Tendo had inwardly declared that he would give both Ranma and Kasumi the freedom of choice, the fact remained that Genma could be _very_ persuasive.

**  
**He had proven so countless times in the past. Genma had also proven that he could be highly idiotic, and to exert any more pressure on Ranma could only be described as such. Thus it was a good thing that both men were out in some bar.

**  
**This thought was also running through Nodoka Saotomes head, and she was still wondering what she could do to help her child and Kasumi.

**  
**Sure, she too wanted to see them together if possible, but in her book it was up to them. Not to her or anyone else. They had seen to what too much pressure regarding pre-arranged marriages could lead, and she could and would not think less of her child if Ranma would never think about arranging marriages for his future children. Not after what her child had endured. No, she had to find a possibility to ensure that the men, Ranma's suitors and Nerima in general would not ruin everything. Again.

**  
**In former times she would have seen it as very manly that so many suitors were chasing her child, but ever since she had come to rethink her view of manliness Nodoka had come to see that a gentleman, or a gentle person in her childs case, someone who tried to be as much in control of his or her life as possible, could not do so as long as so many people were chasing him/her. And in order to allow her child to achieve this very much needed control something had to be done. Nodoka Saotome only didn't know what, yet.

**  
**When the meal was finally served, Kasumi remembered that Akane would probably be hungry too. Nabiki of all people had volunteered to bring her little sister, who was still in her room due to her fathers orders, some lunch to her room.

**  
**Kasumi was (understandably) still angry with her little sister, and Ranma would probably have blasted anyone who would have asked him to bring his ex-iinazuke food into next week. They could clearly envision his answer to that:

_"What, so that the uncute tomboy can mallet me some more cause everything is my fault? Forget it!"_

**  
**When Nabiki came downstairs afterwards she reported that her younger sister was still sulking. Apparently she had still not realised that _she_ had been at fault. Silently Nabiki wondered if she should make an appointment with Dr. Jagakawa. The good doctor was the psychologist who had treated Akane after the death of their mother, when she had first shown her uncontrollable temper.

**  
**Sadly her father had cancelled the appointments after the fifth time back then, which had been far too early. Nabiki knew from her research that Dr. Jagakawa was the top shrink in Nerima, and after the behaviour she had displayed today there was no doubt that Akane needed the help of a professional.

**  
**Else it could happen that Akane might lose control of her temper and would accidentally kill someone with that mallet of hers. Not all humans were as tough as Ranma, after all.

**  
**Said cursed martial artist dug into the meal with his usual gusto. That meant that he was still eating inhumanly fast, but due to Kasumi's training regarding table-manners he did eat gentleman-like. Fact that pleased Nodoka to no end.

**  
**The fact that Kasumi had apparently succeeded in socialising her child spoke volumes in her book. If everything worked out right, she was sure to have grandchildren soon!

**  
**Soon the meal ended and Nodoka saw her chance. Just as she wanted to bring up the topic that Ranma and Kasumi would not be undisturbed in Nerima, Nabiki spoke up. "Ranma, Kasumi, I have thought about your situation." At seeing Ranma's look, Nabiki snickered. "Don't worry, Saotome, this time it won't cost you. This one is on me. You may consider it a payment of a debt."

**  
**Seeing Ranma's disbelieving look, well, the others were as baffled, Nabiki snickered once more and continued. "Saotome, you do realise that in Nerima, what with the Kuno's, Ukyo Kuonji and the old lecher, even if he is not in Nerima at present, not to forget my little sister and the situation at school, it is not likely that Kasumi and you will have enough peace and quiet to get used to your curses and bring order into your lives. If you stayed here you'd have to go to school as a girl here, and you know what that means. Not even I would be able to prevent this."

**  
**It was a statement and not a question, so Ranma nodded without saying something and let Nabiki continue. "The solution is simple, Saotome. _Leave Nerima_. Leave for as long as you two need to get used to your curses."  
**'And anything else.'** she mentally added.

**  
**She then held up her hands to stem any comments that were sure to come. "I know, I know. It will be hard on everyone, but this is the only way I see. Here in Nerima Kasumi and Ranma will be harassed constantly. If I have learned one thing from Ranma's curse, then that: it attracts interesting situations like a moth is drawn to the flame. Now that Kasumi has a curse of her own she has no longer the luxury to stay in the background. What if she was splashed while buying the groceries? Or what would happen if Kodachi suddenly felt attracted to your male form, sis? She is as loony as they come and apparently too insane to understand the curse, so this is a possibility. And what if Kuno suddenly decides to get jealous of your male form because you're near 'his' pigtailed goddess, sis? What then?"

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi shuddered collectively and looked at each other. Both nodded, even if sadly. Nabiki had brought home a point. Kasumi was now fully involved in the chaos that was his life. And although he had not been responsible for Kasumi receiving her curse, he could not stop himself from feeling guilty.

**  
**Kasumi, ever being the attentive one despite her clueless act, sensed it. "Ranma, stop. _You_ are _not _responsible for me getting my curse. I do not even blame you, Shampoo." she said and smiled at the Amazon who could not help but smile back at the 'nice girl', "Had my little sister kept her temper like any normal person none of this would have happened. You, Shampoo, only defended yourself. And you, Ranma, are not responsible at all. Akane is at fault, not you." she finished and gave Ranma a beautiful smile.

**  
**Ranma smiled back involuntarily. "Thank you, Kasumi. But your sister is right. You don't have the luxury to remain at the sidelines any more, for your curse _will_ drag you into 'interesting situations', like Nabiki said it. Ya have already changed once when ya were outside. And one thing is clear: ya can't stay in the house for the rest of yer life, Kasumi. Ya can't hide, and I don't wantcha to even try. Ya deserve more."

**  
**Kasumi was so perplexed that she did not even think to scold Ranma for his slip in language skills. He _really_ did care for her! "T… thanks, Ranma." she finally managed to say, only to be rewarded by a smile.

**  
**Nodoka nodded to herself. Kasumi did indeed deserve more than just staying in this house for forever, and now that she had a guy-curse she could surely never go back to the rule she had filled out before. No, Kasumi Tendo would never be able to be the housewife again.

**  
**And this was good, because she doubted that her child would appreciate a submissive housewife. But Nodoka had the distinct feeling and the suspicion that Kasumi was so much more, and she knew how to read the clues she had seen… "My child is right, Kasumi. You, like him, have now the opportunity to see both sides of the coin, so to speak. And you can't do it if you hide in the house. Your sister Nabiki is right; a change of location is called for. Maybe a little training trip. I am sure you can teach one another how to be a man or woman, respectively."

**  
**Cologne nodded. "Wisely spoken, Saotome-san. Son-in-law has indeed to find himself and he has to find a balance with his female half, else he will be forever incomplete. As this course of action you suggest would also be in the best interests of my tribe I can only second this notion."

**  
**Shampoo was baffled. "But... but... Hibachan, Airen _can't_ go away! Shampoo love him!"

**  
**The Amazon Elder nodded. She knew that, and at the present time she had to hide her plans for Ranma very carefully from her great-granddaughter until she was sure she could control Xian-Pus reaction. "I know, child. But if you love him, let him go. He needs to find himself, as needs Miss Tendo. With the help of each other and away from the disturbing influences that permeate Nerima they will succeed. This time we have to put son-in-laws interests above our own, but in the end his interests will converge with our own, child. And the tribe will be the more accepting of a son-in-law who has also embraced his female side, especially after Jusendo."

**  
**Shampoo looked downcast. She wouldn't see her Airen for three to four months, maybe even more. And Hibachan said he needed this. On whose side was Hibachan? She sighed and calmed down. Who was she to doubt Hibachans wisdom? After all, Hibachan knew what was best. "Shampoo not happy, but Shampoo accept for Airens' sake."

**  
**Ranma smiled, although he had suppressed a snort with difficulty at what Cologne had said. Even if he did not need their acceptance, it did good to see Cologne, and to a certain degree Shampoo, act understanding and supportive. That was new. "Thanks, Shampoo."

**  
**Cologne nodded while Shampoo smiled happily. "Son-in-law, I will send Mousse by tomorrow with the improved waterproof soap. If you need it earlier, stop by at the Nekohanten. I trust you know the way." she cackled, then nodded curtly into the round and exited the house, followed by Shampoo.

**  
**Now that they were alone it was time to discuss how to proceed. As they were seated in the living room various thoughts were uttered. Cologne and Nabiki had raised valid points, and even she herself accepted that it would be better for her child and Kasumi to get away from Nerima and the craziness here. After all, that was why she had suggested a training trip.

**  
**But the decision had not come easy to Nodoka. It had only been five months ago that she had really gotten her child back again after ten years. The times she had seen her child in her disguise as Ranko Tendo did not really count. And now it looked like Ranma had to leave her once more for three months, maybe even more.

**  
**It was just not fair. But for her child's sake she was willing to do it. "Ranma," Nodoka began, and once she had her child's full attention she graced him with a smile, "you know that we are right. You know that as much as I do. I have only been in Nerima and in your life again for a few months. In these few months I have seen more craziness and insanity than ever before in my whole life. Well, except for my marriage to your father, but that is beside the point. If you want to succeed in this challenge, and I am sure you want to, you have to leave Nerima. I know you're not overly fond of the idea to lock yourself in your cursed form, my child, but it is the only way you can get fully used to your female form without the disturbing interruptions of constantly changing genders. I want my daughter to be happy, and you as my part-time-daughter can not be happy as long as you don't accept your female half as a part of yourself, Ranma. You can't do that as long as your body is an uncertain thing, my child."

**  
**Then Nodoka smiled. "And it isn't as if you would lose your birthform, Ranma. Neither of you will. You will only see how it is to live as the other side of the coin, my child. I know that you'll do the Saotome name proud. And my child, from what I know of your life you have never been allowed to make one of the really important decisions that pertain your life. Now you can change this, and you can help Kasumi to get used to her curse at the same time. Show her how to be a man!" she said and hugged Ranma.

**  
**Ranma let himself be hugged and nodded slowly. He did not want to leave his mother, but what with his father and his harebrained schemes into which he usually dragged Mr. Tendo too, the old lecher and all the other crazy consorts he really _had_ no other chance but to leave Nerima with Kasumi. **'They're right. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to Kasumi. We have to leave and hope that trouble won't follow us. And I can't really go to school as a girl…'** he mused to himself.

**  
**For what would happen if he went to Furinkan high as a girl during the time he'd be locked? He would have to use the girls' locker room and bathroom. What with how Akane had always made him out to be the biggest pervert on the entire planet he'd be skinned alive! If he was lucky. No, they were right. He couldn't await acceptance from anyone at school. Thus Nerima was not an option. But where to go? Where to go?

**  
**Sensing Ranma's reluctant acceptance Nodoka turned to Kasumi. "The same is true for you, Kasumi. You can't stay here for the rest of your life and hide. Go out into the world and make something of your life! Take this curse and show Fate that you don't succumb to it. You are _young_, Kasumi. You have all the chances. Use them. And while you're at it, show my part-time-daughter how to be a woman."

**  
**Nabiki smirked. Now was the time to crush the last defences which still chained her older sister (or brother) to this household. "Auntie is right, Kasumi. You have given up your life for this household and for us, and only your getting cursed opened my eyes fully. Sis, you have been trapped in this house for so long that it has become something akin to a prison. But because it is also a safe place for you, you never wanted to break out of it. But now, _now_ you have the right and the chance to go out into the world. Sis, everything happens for a reason, and the curse is your chance to break out of your role as a traditional housewife. Grasp the chance and break free, sis. Do it!"

**  
**Kasumi was visibly torn, and, at the moment, she felt like a freight-train had run over her. "I'll... I'll try, Nabiki." she finally uttered, only to add, "But..."

**  
**"But what?" challenged Nodoka and Nabiki in stereo, and Ranma leant also in with a stern expression.

**  
**Kasumi gulped. "Who'll cook for my family and tend to the household?" she finally asked.

**  
**Mass face-faults ensued. Trust Kasumi to worry about something like that. Nabiki on her part felt ready to smack herself. Kasumi had been the slave of this household for far too long. It was high time that that changed! "Sis, we're all old enough to care for ourselves! For Kami-samas sake, get out of this house and do something for yourself! You now have a guy curse, sis, and that means that you'll _never_ be able to be the traditional housewife ever again. Use this chance to escape this household and follow your dreams. I won't let my own sister hide in this house any more. You deserve much more." she said, and one could say that Nabiki had meant every word.

**  
**Kasumi gulped once more. Her sister was right. Ever since their mother had died, and especially since she had graduated from highschool, she _had_ done nothing but to be there for her sisters and father, day in, day out. She had indeed put her dreams behind the wishes of her family, and truly, over time she had accepted that it might never change. Maybe the others were right. Maybe the curse really was her chance to fulfil her dreams. To make a change.

**  
**But she could not overcome what had been for so many years in a flash. Nabiki and the others were right with what they had said, but she'd need time. "You… you're right, sis. And I'd be honoured if you'd show me how to be a man, Ranma-kun."

**  
**Said Ranma smiled. "It would be my pleasure, Kasumi-chan." he said. A few seconds later he mentally eeped when it had registered what he had said. Nodoka literally glowed, and Nabiki wore an amused smirk.

**  
**And Kasumi did not object, rather she looked pleased at what he had said. Ranma breathed a silent sigh of relief. Then he grasped the implications of Kasumi's reaction to the pet name. **'She looks really pleased. Not annoyed at all, like Akane would be. And the way she smiles now… kawaii!'** he thought.

**  
**Nodoka smiled a secret smile before she spoke what was on her mind. It was absolutely imperative that those two went onto a long, undisturbed training trip. The benefits it might, and probably would generate outweighed not seeing Ranma for a while by far. "Kasumi, dear, don't worry about the household. While you two are gone dearest and I will move back in. _I_ will handle the cooking. As for the household, I am sure something can be arranged. And I'll be more than happy to get my husband to work too. This way he can't cook off some idiotic idea. Speaking of which, I think it would be wise if you left _before_ the men come back, as they would surely try to interfere. Now it's only open where you two could go."

**  
**Nabiki nodded. "You got that right, Auntie. It _is_ wise to leave before father and your husband return. Father would never let his beloved daughter leave, regardless of the reason. Especially if she's travelling to god knows where and through the wilderness to boot. But my sister _has_ to get out of here. Due to what has happened, sis, I came to realise that you had to put your own hopes and dreams on hold. Sadly neither daddy nor anyone of us was of any help to you, which shames me. I know you did it for us and out of a feeling to satisfy honour, but ask yourself this, is this all you want out of your life, sis? Now you have the chance, never forget this. And I am sorry that it took you being cursed for me to realise what we have done to you after mothers' death. Sorry, sis."

**  
**Kasumi looked her sister directly into the eyes. She had been nearly convinced to go onto the training trip before, but what her sister had said steeled her resolve only further. "Thank you, Nabiki. You are right, I did what I had to do out of honour, but I also did it gladly and cheerfully for all of you. It is sad that father was never able to be of any help as I had hoped he would get better in time, but you are my family. I did it gladly." she said with a smile. "But you are also right. Because of the curse I will never be able to go back to how it was. Thank you for making this clear to me. I _will_ go on this training trip." she said, got up, and embraced her sister in a heartfelt hug, which was returned with equal strength and feeling by Nabiki.

**  
**After the two sisters had separated Nabiki smiled. "It was the least I could do, sis. There is however the matter that the two of you will need identity cards for your cursed forms. After all, you'll stay in them for at least three months, probably longer. And your current cards say 'Saotome, Ranma, male' respective 'Tendo, Kasumi, female'. But let that be my worry. In some hours you two will have brand-new IDs for your cursed forms. I'll have to pull some strings, and you'll have to decide on names for your cursed forms. Although in your case," she pointed at Ranma, "I have a good guess. Eh, Ranko?"

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi were taken aback, as was Nodoka. Who would have thought that Nabiki would be so helpful? "Th... thanks, Nabiki." Ranma finally uttered, shortly followed by another hug from Kasumi for her younger sister. "But actually… no."

**  
**All heads whipped towards him. "What do you mean, no?" a very curious Nabiki asked.

**  
**Ranma smiled sheepishly. "I rather like my name, you know. Have gotten used to it. And actually, I ain't that fond of the name Ranko… too many bad memories." he explained.

**  
**That was all that was needed to have Nodoka fling herself around her child's neck. "My child, I'm so sorry for what I put you through." she said and hugged him for all it was worth.

**  
**A rather surprised but also pleased Ranma found himself patting his mother's back. "Aww, it's okay, mom." he said with a smile, being his usual forgiving self.

**  
**Once mother and son had separated Nabiki looked at Ranma curiously, as did Kasumi and Nodoka. "And what variant would you prefer, Ranma? You could either use the Chinese variant of the name Ranma, the one that is used for Chinese females, or rather we could think of spelling your name differently. Your choice."

**  
**The raven-haired youth looked very thoughtful. "Not much of a choice there, Nabiki. Considering the past I ain't that fond of Chinese anything except for their food… that's great!" he exclaimed, not noticing the facefaults of the three females. "So I'd rather go with spelling the name in another way."

**  
**Three women looked at each other, congregated at the table and were soon engrossed in discussing the different ways of spelling the name Ranma that would suit a female. Several minutes passed as ideas were brought up and discarded, but finally the three came up with their results.

**  
**Nodoka, being Ranma's mother and the one who had named him at birth spoke up. "My child, you could either use Ránmā, which means 'burning dragonfly', or you could go with Ranmā, which means wild dragonfly. The other combinations are utterly dissatisfying."

**  
**Ranma nodded and sat down on one of the cushions to think, weighing the options in his mind. It did not take too long for him to come to the conclusion that 'burning dragonfly' sounded a lot cooler. Looking up he grinned. "I'll go with Ránmā. If I'm going to be your daughter, mother, then I'll have a name I like. Besides, it suits my hair-colour in that form, and if I pause ta think about it, it also goes well with that new powers of mine. Burning dragonfly it is. Thanks for helping, mom, Kasumi, Nabiki."

**  
**"You're welcome." Nodoka and Kasumi said in stereo. The Saotome matriarch was all smiles. That her child had chosen the name 'Ranmā' for his alternate form pleased her and it was so easy to get used to. It was just spelled a bit differently and one could still get away with calling his female form Ranma. The choice also had the advantage that her child would not have to get used to a new name, and it came as no surprise to her that he resented the name 'Ranko'. It was understandable, considering the stress her child had lived through during the charade of hiding as 'Ranko Tendo'.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter whereas smirked. "My pleasure, Saotome. What do I have those connections for if I don't use them? Besides, Mrs. Saotome, you should withdraw Ranma from Furinkan High tomorrow. What with Kasumi's tutoring I'm quite sure that his grades are good enough to pass this grade, even though he won't finish it. After all, only one month of the current term is left, and then a break of one month follows. And is it Ranma's fault that the term was so short this time? No. Had Principal Coconut not blown up the boiler room and some other important parts with his pineapple bombs because he thought that 'de keiki were hidin' there' to avoid his bowlcuts it might have been more difficult, but due to the short term I'm sure your grades will be sufficient. I'll help with the red tape and deal with the principal, if need be." she said.

**  
**"Why are you so nice all of a sudden, Nabiki? This is not like you. Not that I don't like it, but it's... unusual for ya. _Really_ unusual." Ranma said.

**  
**Nabiki smirked. "Don't I have the right to change my behaviour, Saotome?" she said in jest. Then she became earnest again. "The truth is, before the wedding I thought that you did not deserve my little sister. That's why I send out all those invitations, as you might have guessed. That I said that I only wanted to get more presents out of it this way was only an excuse. In the following months, however, I have come to realise that it was my little sister who did not deserve _you_. I think that you would not have been happy in marriage with Akane, and in hindsight I do not regret my actions before the wedding. Even if for different reasons. You are something special, Saotome. Too bad that my little sister did not see it." **'And too bad that it is too late for me...'** she mentally added.

**  
**Ranma sputtered once more. Would surprises never end? He finally managed a weak "Thanks!" and embraced the middle Tendo daughter in a somewhat awkward hug, which was returned by Nabiki after the initial surprise. Nabiki smiled a genuine smile for the first time since long. "You're welcome, kiddo. I'm sorry for what I did to you, but…"

**  
**The cursed Saotome youth interrupted her by laying a hand on her shoulder, a gesture which had the effect of making her older sister quite jealous. "I know, Nabiki. Ya had ta care for yer family. I know all of it, and I forgive ya. Ya did what ya had ta do." he said with a caring smile, and because of what he had said no one thought to reprimand him that he had fallen back into slang again. Kasumi and Nodoka had both hearts in their eyes. Ranma had such a big heart!

**  
**Nabiki on her part was at a loss for words for the first time she could remember. When she had gathered her bearing she looked at the smiling Ranma. "You… you forgive me? After all I did to you? After all the profit I made off of you? After all the embarrassing photo-shoots, after charging you for hot water and all the other things? Why?" she asked, genuinely astonished.

**  
**Ranma's smile deepened. "Nabiki, I just do. I know that yer're a good person who was forced ta do these things ta keep this house afloat and its people off of the streets. 'sides, forgiveness ain't something ya can earn, but something that is given freely ta ya. And I do give it ta ya."

**  
**The middle Tendo sister didn't know what to say, so she just deepened the hug and mumbled "Thanks." in a completely honest and thankful tone.

**  
**The others were quite moved at the display, and even Kasumi, who was still a bit jealous of her sister, was indeed happy for Nabiki and very proud of Ranma, even though he had slipped back into that horrible slang of his. But she'd help him overcome this bad habit, as it seemed that she'd have time enough for it.

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma had released Nabiki from the hug. "Yer're welcome, Nabiki. And thanks for helpin' us now." he said with another smile.

**  
**Nabiki mirrored the smile. "My pleasure, Ranma. And there's something else I suggest, and I believe you too will agree with this plan of mine, Auntie." she said.

**  
**Nodoka looked at her. "What do you suggest and how can I help?" asked a Saotome matriarch who was very proud of her child.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter smirked. "This is something that will most definitely annoy a certain panda." she began, eliciting smirks all around. "But for it to work I must know the following: who is the current head of the Clan Saotome?"

**  
**Ranma's mother smirked. "That would be me. After dearest had disappeared without a trace I had to act as the Head of the clan. And after I learned of the many failings and crimes he had committed in the ten years of his absence I refused to give the function back to him, which was within my just rights. Due to his various actions he has no claim to be the Head of the Clan any more. Not now, not ever."

**  
**Nabiki nodded, pleased by this piece of information. "Very good. Thus my plan will work." she said to herself, before she looked at Nodoka again. "I suggest that you adopt a certain Ránmā Saotome into the clan register in written letters to emphasise the differences in spelling, be it as Ranma's adopted sister or long lost twin sister. The possibilities are quite manifold in this regard. Once it is done the panda won't have any chances of interference with Ranma's or Ránmā's future at all. For it is more than sufficient that you, the Head of Clan Saotome have accepted Ranma as your daughter Ránmā."

**  
**Nodoka nodded. She liked the plan. "Very good idea, my dear. I'll do that as soon as possible."

**  
**Kasumi's sister nodded again. "And I'll do the same for you, Kasumi. Convincing dad to adopt the twin brother of my sister Kasumi into the clan register should not be hard." she said, smirking to herself.

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi looked at each other and said "Thank you, Nabiki." in stereo. Feat that caused all four of them to laugh. Then Nabiki excused herself and went to her room. She had work to do.

**  
**Suddenly Ranma's eyes lit up. "Mom, Kasumi, I know the place where Kasumi and me could stay! It is perfect!"

**  
**"Do tell, son!" Nodoka encouraged.

**  
**"You know, mom, when I was six, right before the Neko-ken training," **'Neko-ken? Cat-fist?'** Nodoka asked herself mentally. **'Hmm, I'll have to ask Ranma about this later.'** "Pop and me stayed at this cool house for a time. This was where I met a good friend of mine for the first time. His name is Tenchi, Tenchi Masaki. His place would be perfect!" Ranma exclaimed.

**  
**Neither Ranma nor Kasumi noticed that Nodoka's face had blanched at the mentioning of the name 'Masaki'. As Nabiki was not present nobody could draw the appropriate conclusions. But sooner or later, Ranma _would_ find out. Nodoka only wondered if she should tell Ranma and make that sooner.

**  
**Sighing to herself inaudibly she banished these thoughts from her mind. Nodoka then smiled. Everything was developing wonderfully. Now they only had to find a place where Kasumi and Ranma could stay. "See, my child, everything works out just fine. Even though it saddens me that I won't see you for quite some time I take comfort in the knowledge that it serves to help you. But be sure that you attend a school where the Masaki's live, Ranma. A good education is very important, and when the new term starts in two months you can at first attend the school as a girl. Afterwards you can still drop out of it and return in your male form after your lock comes off. Then you'll be able to demonstrate your curse to the school administration and they will have no other choice but to believe you. But promise me that you'll go to school."

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist sighed, but what his mother had said was reasonable. Ever since the tutoring sessions he had come to appreciate having knowledge, and Kasumi had shown him that learning could also be fun. "I promise, mother. And your idea with attending as a girl and dropping out and all that is good. I think I'll do that. Thanks, mom." he then said with a smile.

**  
**Nodoka smiled back. Ranma and Kasumi then proceeded to clean the table, and the Saotome matriarch noticed once more with satisfaction that those two were moving quite close into the personal space of the other. Despite what she had heard of her childs' plans, she liked the interactions that played by between the youths. And despite having hearts in her eyes the Saotome matriarch renewed her vow of non-interference regarding Kasumi and Ranma.

**  
**She would not tolerate any of the idiotic stunts her husband seemed to like to pull so much, and she had to admit to herself that she liked the way Soun was acting. He had handled the crisis quite well and had demonstrated that he was able to deal with his youngest daughter. Only too bad that it had not happened earlier. Ranma and Akane might have become a nice couple, if the youngest Tendo had ever learned to control her temper and violent tendencies.

**  
**Nodoka sighed to herself. That was in the past, and it seemed as if her child had a chance at happiness with another Tendo child, and one Nodoka Saotome would have expected the least at that. But now, due to their opposite curses this was a quite different situation.

**  
**Now those two were practically matching sets, and it would look not odd at all if they should suddenly change in public. They would still be a normal couple. She uttered another, this time satisfied sigh, when suddenly a loud yell from the kitchen emanated.

**  
**"Holy Kami-sama!" she heard someone yell, a man with a deep baritone. Nodoka recognised the voice, and it was not that of her child. What had happened now?

**  
**"Turn it off! Turn it off!" her now obviously son-turned-daughter literally squeaked.

**  
**Sighing Nodoka got up from her chair and went into the kitchen. The sight that greeted her was… unusual. Her child was her daughter again, as she had expected from the noise, and Kasumi had been turned into a male once more. The cause for this was obviously a broken cold water pipe, and Kasumi-otoko tried valiantly to turn off the water.

**  
**Finally he succeeded, but both cursed individuals were dripping wet. And it was also too late for the stove, which had obviously short-circuited, if the smoke rising from it was any indicator. Nabiki came barging in an analyzed the situation, and needless to say she did the sensible thing and turned the power off to prevent more damage.

**  
**Inwardly she sighed. **'And there goes another item. First the bed and the flooring, and now this. Its a good thing I beefed up our insurance policy.' **she thought.

**  
**With a scowl, something that was very unusual for Kasumi, he looked at the broken cold-water-pipe and at the destroyed stove. "Now I understand what you meant with being a water-magnet, Ranma. But this is ridiculous!" he exclaimed.

**  
**Ranma smiled at him, her blue eyes sparkling with humour. "Now you see what I had to put up with."

**  
**The tone of voice and her smile served to diffuse his anger at the broken water-conduit, and not for the first time Kasumi-otoko noticed that his male hormones were very potent. It had been a long time since he had felt anger so close under the surface, and he also noticed that slowly his old self began to emerge once more. The one that had been buried under the façade of the pleasant and oblivious housewife for so long.

**  
**Kasumi knew that the others were right. Maybe it was really time to get out of the house. His sisters were all old enough to take care of themselves and father began to show signs of becoming the man he had been before mothers' death. And what Ranma's mother had said still rang in his ears: 'you have all the chances.'

**  
**This was especially true now, now that he turned into a man. After all, men were still more respected in Japanese society, and thus the Jusenkyo curse might really have its advantages. Yes, it was really time to stop being a housewife, and it was time to see something of the world other than Nerima.

**  
**Slowly a smile spread over his face. This curse, as annoying as the water-magnet part was, might really have freed him. "Yes, I do." he said, answering Ranma.

**  
**Ranma smiled once more. "It's only good that the old lech has left Nerima for some time. Imagine he would see me like this! All wet and female. I bet he'd burst a vessel and glomp me harder than ever!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. Even he was hard pressed at the moment, and normally he was not even into girls. But into Ranma very much, and apparently regardless of the form. Strange male hormones… "Yes, it is really good that jiji is gone at the moment, although father and uncle needed a long time to recuperate from their party in the course of his leave. We _do_ have enough chaos without jiji as it is. But where did he go to again?"

**  
**The redhead smirked. "As far as I know he is presently touring Europe. Before he left he said something to the effect that it was time he got to liberate some new silky darlings, and apparently Europe has to offer some the old lech has never seen before. Poor Europe."

**  
**The oldest Tendo sibling frowned. "But isn't it a bit improper to leave these poor women there to their own devices?" he asked.

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Yes, but there is little I or anyone else could do about it. I have no idea where he went, and honestly, I have more messes to solve than I can count, so I can hardly be of any help to those women in Europe. And besides, he may be an annoying old lech, but he'd never hurt these women. Aside from their dignity…" she mumbled the last part.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. "I can accept that, and you're right. You have your own messes to solve, or to word it better, _we_ have our own messes to solve."

**  
**The pigtailed girl smiled. "And that we will." she said with her usual confidence.

**  
**Nodoka had once more smiled at the byplay between the two, but now they should really get a change of clothes. "Now you two go upstairs and get out of these totally soaked clothes. I'll clean up this mess."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko and Ranma looked at each other and nodded. It was really uncomfortable to stay in wet clothes, and the ones they had on were now really soaked through due the water-pipe incident. That had really been one unnecessary shower.

**  
**The cursed Tendo could keep his balance better now, but Ranma wanted to be sure that he would not fall and grabbed his hand. And once more a spark ran through both cursed individuals, and unbeknownst to each other both had to fight the urge to do more than just holding hands. Ranma, for her part, had overcome her fear that she would get hit by Kasumi-otoko because of any physical contact fast after the episode in the kitchen, and she had to admit to herself that it felt nice holding hands, even if it was only to assure that Kasumi did not fall.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko was fighting his still out-of-control male hormones, of which he had no idea of how to handle them at present, and Ranma, for her part, was simply enjoying holding hands with someone she liked without having to fear a clobbering. But the sparks she had felt just a few seconds ago had been even more intense compared to what had happened in the kitchen. Yes, she liked Kasumi very much…

**  
**The cursed Tendo for his part had to exert a lot of self-control not to do more than just holding hands, especially because Ranma looked practically edible in her clothes that virtually clinged to her body. It was quite irritating for Kasumi to be attracted to another female, but the fact that this was Ranma cancelled it out. It was the person inside that counted, and that was still Ranma. But ho boy, those male hormones were really something else…

**  
**Seconds later they had arrived at the door that led to Ranmas room without incident, and the cursed martial artist smiled at the cursed Tendo and entered the room, while Kasumi-otoko went to his. Then Ranma began to browse her wardrobe, and to her horror she only found a pair of trousers of her father, which were much too baggy and large for her female form. It was just her bad luck that all other clothes that were even remotely unisex were in the hamper.

**  
**Sighing about her dilemma she called for her mother. "MOM! Could you come up please? I have a problem here!" she yelled downstairs.

**  
**It did not take long for her mother to arrive, and needless to say, Nodoka Saotome looked at bit messed up from her cleaning duty. Wiping her hands clean on a towel that she had brought with her, she looked at her son-turned-daughter. "What is it, Ranma-chan?" she asked, ignoring the wince coming from her child at her usage of the correct gender-pronoun. Nodoka pretended not to notice the reaction. Ranma in female form was her daughter, and she'd have to get used to it. Basta.

**  
**Her daughter looked sheepish. "There is the little problem that the only thing I could find for me to wear is this old trouser from pop. But the stupid thing is much too large for my girl form, and the stupid stove is broken. And I can't use my new powers to dry it either, for I don't have that much control yet. So no changing back. Help, mom!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Nodoka took the situation in. "Hmm, this pair of trousers look like they might fit Kasumi-otoko, if he would use a waistbelt. But for you, my daughter, I don't see any other choice but to wear feminine attire for the moment until your other clothes have dried. I will hang them in the boiler room for you. But first we have to get you something to dress. Get out of these wet clothes and let your mom do the rest."

**  
**Not really reassured by this Ranma nodded. She could accept that she'd have to wear panties and bras during the time she'd be locked, but starting with wearing feminine attire now? Not good. Sighing she undressed completely and placed her wet clothes onto the hallstand that had been bought a month ago.

**  
**She then flared her fiery aura very cautiously and concentrated it on her upper body. And exerting every ounce of control she had, Ranma managed to dry herself without destroying her surroundings. But she knew that the heat she'd exuded would probably still have been too much for clothing. But despite that, she was proud of what she had achieved.

**  
**Afterwards she grabbed herself a fresh pair of boxers and a fresh undershirt and changed, and then she sat down onto the futon. While her mother was obviously selecting attire for her to wear she had time to reflect onto the feelings she had for Kasumi. And that she _had_ feelings for the cursed Tendo she could not deny. How they had hugged, and that in both forms, could not be described as just friendly. She had no way of how to describe it, it had just sparked something in her.

**  
**Yes, she liked Kasumi very much, that she admitted to herself. However, she was raised from her musings when her mother entered the room again. What she carried, on the other hand, was not to Ranmas liking. The cursed Saotome youth got to her feet. "No way, mom! There's no way that I'm gonna wear a freakin' skirt. Not even when I'm locked. And that is final.

**  
**Her mother applied a stern look. "Ranma Saotome, you will wear this and you will like it. You are my son as much as my daughter, and my daughter wears proper female attire. And proper also means that you'll have to wear skirts." she said with finality.

**  
**But Ranma did not give up. "But I'm a guy, mom! Guys don't wear skirts! And besides, I'm not locked yet. Imagine what would happen should some hot fluid suddenly hit me. I'd be a guy in a skirt, and I would never live it down. No, mom, I won't wear skirts!"

**  
**Nodoka's expression softened. She had not thought of this, and what her child had said made sense. It would indeed look ridiculous and embarrassing for her child should she change into a guy while wearing a skirt. But she'd have to do something about her daughters' attitude concerning proper female attire nonetheless.

**  
**Maybe input from Kasumi, who would spend the training trip with her child, would be of help. "I understand that, Ranma-chan. But the fact remains that you are both my daughter and my son. You're not only a guy anymore, but also a girl. But as there is nothing that would fit your female form at the moment, will you at least wear slacks, my daughter?"

**  
**Sighing Ranma nodded her head when her mother produced a pair of black slacks. Those were acceptable, as they looked like trousers at least. "Okay, mom. But I won't wear a blouse either, for the same reasons. Deal?"

**  
**Nodoka smiled. "Deal, dear. And now get fully clothed while I bring those clothes back to Kasumi." she said and grabbed the female attire she had brought with her plus the pair of trousers of her pop and a t-shirt from her wardrobe.

**  
**Afterwards she left the room, and Ranma eyed the pair of slacks critically. Then she shrugged and put the slacks on. It was not too bad and not such a giant difference compared to her Chinese pants, and she had to admit that they fit her female body better than the other clothes ever had, even if she had to adjust the slacks to her size.

**  
**Then she put on socks, a new pair of slippers and finally a t-shirt. Afterwards she looked at herself in the mirror, ruffled her hair somewhat, and, finally satisfied with herself she went downstairs.

**  
**Meanwhile Nodoka had returned to Kasumi's room to place the skirts and other clothes into her wardrobe again, and when she looked through the open door she noticed that Kasumi-otoko had just returned to his room, apparently to get a change of clothes. But it seemed as if he was quite clueless of what to wear.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch surveyed Kasumi-otoko, who had undressed and was currently bare-chested. Silently Nodoka nodded to herself. Even as a male he was prime material, and once Kasumi had had a proper guy-training her child and Kasumi would be the perfect couple.

**  
**Banishing all the thoughts of grandchildren from her mind she knocked politely on the doorframe, and gave the currently male Kasumi the opportunity to cover himself with a t-shirt. "Come in!" he then called, and Nodoka did just that.

**  
**Nodoka smiled and handed the trouser to Kasumi-otoko. "Here, Kasumi. Together with this waistbelt that should fit you."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded, obviously thankfully. "Thank you, auntie. I really had no idea what I should wear. This curse really limits one to unisex clothing. But I can't really complain, as I could also have ended up like Ryoga." he said and trailed off when he remembered that his sister was still banished to her room. And the walls were not that thick.

**  
**Ranma's mother nodded. "I know what you mean. This is also why I think it is a good idea for you two to lock yourselves. For these three to four months, or maybe even longer if you wish so, you will have some stability. Both of you can wear clothes fit for one gender, even if it is not the gender you were born with. But you heard Cologne. And I believe her. You will have to get used to your other forms."

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded. "I know, auntie. I believe her too. It is not easy to get used to this body, as I am so much taller and bigger. You wouldn't believe how often I bumped against the door because of the difference in height and reach. But slowly I come to grips with it, and I can't thank Ranma enough. Without Ranma I would have been lost. But now, auntie, I would like to get my clothes changed." he said with a slight smile.

**  
**Nodoka nodded and turned around. Kasumi-otoko then made to change his pants and boxers, and Nodoka used the opportunity to peek at the body of the male Kasumi using a mirror that was luckily conveniently placed. Smiling slightly to herself she nodded. Oh yes, Kasumi was indeed prime material. Her child would make a good catch should everything work out.

**  
**Moments later Kasumi-otoko had dressed once more. "You can turn around again, auntie."

**  
**The Saotome matriarch did just that, and looked Kasumi-otoko in the eyes. "Kasumi, I will need your help with my child. Due to the fact that the stove is defective there is no possibility for you two to change back at the moment, as you know." she said, and Kasumi-otoko nodded. "Because of this I borrowed some of your clothes, like I asked you. But my child refused to wear a skirt categorically, and she said she wouldn't even wear a 'freakin skirt' once she was locked. Ranma has to wear feminine attire once she is locked as a girl, and I want you to help me with that."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko sat down on his bed and made a thoughtful face. "It will be impossible to get her into a skirt until she has not found at least some of her femininity. But I think that will happen over time, auntie. You just can't force her, for the more you push, the more she will resist. And if you make her wear a skirt she will loath it and thus the whole idea of her being a girl and a guy in equal shares. Ranma has to slowly accept that she is as much a girl as a boy. Consciously I understand this, but I too still have great difficulties to accept myself as a man. But I am sure that Ranma and I will be able to help the other. Just don't force her, auntie."

**  
**Nodoka Saotome looked thoughtful and sat down on the bed beside Kasumi-otoko. "I guess you are right, Kasumi." she finally said. "Forcing my child will only turn her against the whole idea. You know what? I will leave finding her femininity to you, and Ranma can help you with finding your masculinity. I consider this training trip as a great idea, and Kasumi, once you reach your destination, and once Ranma has accepted that she is a girl too, make sure that she wears proper female attire. In order to ensure this threaten her that I will come and take over the process. And yes, I do know where the Masakis' live. You need not know how, just that I do. Oh, and please send photos of my daughter in female attire to prove that she is acting according to the rules. She does not have to wear female attire every day, but at least every third. And, if she decides to go to school there, which I am sure of, she has to wear a proper girls school uniform. Finally, I also consider jeans and slacks as female attire that is tolerable. Did you get that, Kasumi?"

**  
**The younger man boggled. "Wow, auntie! Now that is what I call a concept. That is more like a training regimen, but it could work. Yes, I did get everything, and I will help. But how should I send you photos? I have no idea if we'll have internet access where we go."

**  
**Nodoka nodded. "I am sure that the Masakis do have internet access. I know them, and they were always up to date. So don't worry, Kasumi. Here," she said, and handed Kasumi a slip of paper, "this is my mail-address. Please send the photos whenever you have the opportunity. Some information on how you are doing would also be great." she said while suppressing her emotion as best as she could.

**  
**She was surprised when she was engulfed in a hug by Kasumi-otoko. "I know that it is hard for you to let Ranma go, auntie, especially now that he is just back in your life for a few months. But it is the right thing. Even I have accepted that we have to leave, and believe me, it is _very_ hard for me. But here we would never be able to come to terms with our situation, so it _is_ the best to leave. And I am sure that we will find a way to get in contact. Everything will work out, auntie. Have faith in your child."

**  
**The Saotome matriarch smiled. Both at the gesture and at the words. Kasumi was a really good person, and she had no doubt that Kasumi would do Ranma good and vice versa. "Thank you, Kasumi. And I also have faith in you."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko blushed pleasantly. "Thanks, auntie." he said, and together the woman-turned-man and the Saotome matriarch made their way downstairs.

**  
**───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
**Ranma had gone downstairs a few moments earlier. She was halfway down when she heard the doorbell. Shrugging to herself (she seemed to do that a lot lately) she went to the door and opened it.

**  
**The sight that greeted her was not to her liking. Make that not at all. For it was none other than Tatewaki Kuno, who had seemingly come to 'shower her with his affections' once more. In his hands the delusional Kendoist held a bouquet of red roses, and his face turned into a large smile when he saw Ranma-chan. "Ahh, my pigtailed goddess, how I have longed to see thy lovely visage. Take this token of my affections so we may date…"

**  
**That was as far as he got, for the thorn-in-the-side-of-a-certain-redhead was suddenly interrupted by another male voice. "Who is it, Ranma-chan?" Kasumi-otoko asked from behind her as he laid a hand on her shoulder. The pigtailed girl noticed that he was now clothed in the old trouser of his pop and one of her t-shirts, a combination which looked good on him.

**  
**Ranma smiled at the physical contact of his hand on her shoulder. For one, it felt good, and it also gave her the inspiration for something that might get Kuno out of her hair for some time. "Oh, it's only Kuno. And I believe he wanted to leave just now."

**  
**Kuno, on his part, was seeing red and had no thoughts of leaving at all. How dare this peasant touch his beloved pigtailed goddess? The outrage! "Who are thee, peasant, to be so familiar with my pigtailed goddess? Speak, or this sword," he waved his bokken threateningly for emphasis, "shall bring thy demise! So speaks the mighty Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!" he exclaimed, and lightning flashed in the distance.

**  
**Before Kasumi-otoko could answer Ranma had turned around to him and whispered "Let me handle the true blunder. Its gonna be fun to play with his head."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. He was sure he would like what Ranma had in mind. Thus he said nothing and leant back to watch the show, metaphorically speaking. As would Nabiki and Nodoka, who had obviously heard the noise. And Nabiki smirked. It seemed as if poor Kuno-baby would have a hurting head soon. One way or the other.

**  
**And the show began… "Oh dear Sir Kuno, surely you have heard that my name is _Ránmā_ Tendo, haven't you?" Ranma asked in a sweet voice while batting her lashes, being careful to pronounce her name correctly.

**  
**One could literally see the mental gears grinding as Kuno thought this over. "Yes, my fair lady, these rumours have indeed reached the mighty Blue Thunder. But how can this simple piece of information be of importance to my love for thy lovely being?"

**  
**Ranma smiled sadly. "Oh but it is. This, dear sir" she said and waved at Kasumi-otoko, "is my husband, Yoshiro Tendo. My brother Ranma always tried to tell you that I was already taken, but you, dear sir, never wanted to listen. You see, I could never love you as my love belongs to someone else." she said very convincingly and with more than the vain hope that he'd buy it.

**  
**Now Kuno was really entering the twilight zone, while the others had great difficulty to bite back their laughter. How Ranma played the idiotic Kuno was nothing short of marvellous. Even Nabiki admired the show, and she mused that the psychiatrist of the Kuno's (so they had one, which was to be doubted) would make a fortune soon. Hmm, if they had none, maybe she could make a deal with Dr. Jagakawa or something...

**  
**Meanwhile Kuno had recovered somewhat. "W… what?" he stuttered. "Do you want to tell the Blue Thunder that thy lovely hand is already taken? No, this can not be! The heavens weep at this injustice!" he exclaimed.

**  
**The pigtailed girl looked at the delusional kendoist with a pitying expression. "I fear it is so, dear sir. My brother Ranma tried to tell you this many times." she said and leant into 'Yoshiro', who put an arm around her waist.

**  
**It seemed as if the 'truth' was nearly too much for the poor Kuno, as he only managed to sputter incoherently for the next moments. Then his thought-processes had obviously come to a conclusion. "The vile demon Ranma Saotome is your brother? The foul beast that has enslaved you and the beauteous Akane Tendo is your brother, pigtailed goddess?"

**  
**Now Nodoka stepped forward with a stern expression on her face. "Young man, I do not know why you insult my son Ranma for protecting his sister! Neither has he enslaved my daughter Ránmā, his own sister, nor Akane Tendo! What brings you to utter these false accusations? Do you really believe that my son has his way with his own sister? Do you! With your thoughtless actions you have tarnished the honour of both my children as well as that of my son-in-law. I, as the head of Clan Saotome, demand an apology! At once!" she exclaimed, playing along with her daughter.

**  
**To make it even more convincing she actually drew her katana, and that faster than Kuno could have blinked. In one swift motion Nodoka Saotome held the katana in her left hand, and how she handled the blade spoke of great mastership in the way of the sword.

**  
**Kuno gulped once and was much too surprised to say or do anything. Then fell into silence once more and visibly gathered his bearings. "The vile demon Saotome and my pigtailed goddess are brother and sister? You, my pigtailed goddess, are _truly_ the sister of Ranma Saotome?" he asked disbelieving and obviously shocked into a nearly normal mode of speech.

**  
**It was Nodoka who answered. "Yes, young man. My son Ranma did nothing more but to protect his sister and her honour from any danger, in that case from you. A course of action that obviously led him into unprovoked conflicts with you. What do you have to say for yourself?" she asked and switched the katana from her weaker left hand into her stronger right one, weaving a complicated pattern in the air to show him what he was up against should he decide to try something foolish.

**  
**For the first time Ranma had known him the Kuno youth seemed to be genuinely ashamed. "It seems… that I have been wrong in my judgement regarding your son. My apologies for that and for my slights against you and your husband, pigtailed girl. But now the Blue Thunder has to leave. He has a lot to think about." he stated and left the compound, for once under his own power.

**  
**As soon as the self pro-claimed rising star of the fencing world was out of ear-shot, everyone collapsed in helpless laughter. On the one hand they were very proud that Ranma had handled the delusional kendoist without violence for the first time, but on the other hand it was just too funny how Kuno had reacted to the information that his pigtailed goddess was already off the market. His facial expression had been just too funny!

**  
**Even Nabiki, who normally had a very tight reign over her emotions had difficulties to control herself, and the odd guffaw escaped her. When they finally returned indoors everyone commended Ranma on the superb performance, and not only Nodoka noticed that Kasumi-otoko still had his arm around her daughters' waist…

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

**  
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	9. Project: Ally of the tribe

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 9: Project: Ally of the tribe**

**  
The Nekohanten**

**  
**Kuh Lon, Matriarch and leader of the Chinese Amazons, was busy. That was nothing new to her, but the actions she planned to initiate now might be decisive for her tribe in the future. And she was determined to do what was best for the tribe, even if it would not be the best for her great-granddaughter. It had always been a hurtful and sad truth that some personal sacrifices had to be made for the greater good, and there was no greater good than the well-being of the tribe.

**  
**This day had been a real eye-opener to Kuh Lon in this regard. She had sensed before that Xian-Pu and she might not be able to win Ranma over as Xian-Pus' Airen, as saddening as that would be for her great-granddaughter. It had soon become clear to her after her arrival in Japan that Ranma could not be forced, and drugs, herbs, blackmail and aphrodisiacs had not led to success either.

**  
**If anything, it had strengthened Ranma's declinature of Xian-Pu's love. Kuh Lon nodded to herself. In their arrogance and firm believe of female superiority they had handled Ranma Saotome wrongly. And now that Ranma had proven to be stronger than probably the whole tribe put together there was nothing they could do to enforce her Xian-Pus claim without serious repercussions.

**  
**No, she could not and would not endanger the safety and the future of the tribe she herself had architected through the fruitless pursuit of Xian-Pus airen. Rather she'd create a situation from which both the tribe and Ranma would profit. Alas, if only they had known Ranma's true potential from the start and had treated the Saotome youth differently. But that was now in the past and could not be changed.

**  
**Not even the Nanban mirror could be of help in that regard, as it was destroyed for good. Sure, there were other means to alter the past, but they were equally or even more dangerous than the Nanban mirror ever had been. Add to it that those dangerous and unstable items, which would have only been used by a fool, were not in the possession of the Joketsuzoku.

**  
**No, the past was unchangeable, and that was good. For who knew what could happen if they still had the power to play around with time? Would they be able to resist the temptation? And what would be the outcome? Maybe the end result would be a Ranma who was not strong and resourceful enough to beat Saffron, which would in return lead to a much darker present and future. No, it was good this way, and her enterprise would at least ensure the future help of Saotome Ranma with a high probability.

**  
**Kuh Lon sighed and started the computer. What had happened prior was in the past, and could and especially should not be changed. The other Elders and she had long since understood that attempts to change the past were more often than not doomed to fail. Which was also the reason, why the Joketsuzoku didn't strive to obtain the means necessary for temporal travel any more; rather they destroyed them wherever possible nowadays. The danger to mess up the timeline with these dangerous tools was much too great, and attempting to do so could very well be the undoing of the tribe; which was exactly the reason why temporal travel was now explicitly forbidden.

**  
**After reflecting on this the Elder shook herself out of these musings and entered her password to boot the computer. She silently cackled to herself. If son-in..., no, Ranma, she corrected herself, only knew that the Joketsuzoku were not as backwards as many believed. It would surely be funny to see the face of the Saotome youth should he/she find out.

**  
**Indeed, it was a little known fact and definitely a well-kept secret that the Joketsuzoku were quite up to date. After all, this was the 21st century, and the Joketsuzoku possessed an ultra-modern data processing centre located beneath the village, which was constantly kept up to date. They had trained SysOps and Admins, and every Elder had her own laptop with satellite-uplink.

**  
**Only because they were warriors it did not mean that they had to live like savages.After all, which cunning warrior refused to use means that were to her advantage?They had proven to be adaptive and had long since established themselves in the Chinese government; nowadays they were influential enough so that the rulers in Beijing left them alone. Which was just the way the Chinese Amazons wanted it to be.

**  
**The next enterprise Kuh Lon had in mind was to remove the glaring contradictions within her tribe.And the outsider rules were the foremost among those contradictions. These rules, born in times of need and carried on as a tradition over the centuries might have served them well in a time were they still had the chances to remain hidden and occasionally brought the odd strong wanderer into the tribe.

**  
**But Kuh Lon had really started thinking about the signification of the outsider rules after they had been discovered by Beijing several decades ago. Gladly everything had gone well back then and satisfying contracts had been made (not lest due to their very persuasive memory techniques), and their privacy and independence had been assured. Though it could not be denied that the world had lately become a much smaller place due to the progressive spread of modern technology.

**  
**Due to her stay in Japan Kuh Lon had learned that it would become a necessity for her tribe to open up to the world in the future, and maybe they'd even have to adjust some of their values in light of the rapidly changing world. Though those were considerations for the future, even if they were of importance.

**  
**But she knew she'd have to do something about the outsider rules some time in the near future, especially after the fiasco with Ranma. And with the help of her fellow Elder and good friend she'd manage it. They had to act and make the tribe even more adaptive, for anything that remained unchanged and unchangeable in its ways was doomed to be crushed by the irresistible gears of time. This was something the Elder had come to realise in the quest for Xian-Pus airen, much to her chagrin.

**  
**Kuh Lon sighed once more. She had sent Xian-Pu, yet another victim of the overcome outsider rules, to her room early and had taken precautions so that she could work undisturbed. To this end, she had spiked her great-granddaughters' tea with a mild sleeping potion. Nothing too strong, it was just enough to take her out of commission until tomorrow. Which would, unbeknownst to the Matriarch, come in handy later.

**  
**The Elder regretted to have to resort to such means, but Xian-Pu was not to know what was going on. Not yet anyway. She would find out soon enough anyway, and three to four months (or even more) were much too soon for her taste. Kuh Lon would need a strategy to calm her great-granddaughter down by then, for she knew how much her Xian-Pu loved Ranma. She massaged her temples once more. No, Elders did not get a headache. It was not dignified. Ahh, better!

**  
**And besides, that her great-granddaughter was enjoying a good nights sleep would enable her to check the spice-rack later. She still needed to find out if Xian-Pu had used some of them to 'help' Tendo Akane lose the engagement. But that was of secondary importance now in face of matters that pertained the well-being of the tribe.

**  
**An acoustic note brought Elder Kuh Lon out of her musings as the computer indicated that it had loaded the OS. The matriarch started the IRC, and then she entered her password and logged into the Joketsuzoku net. In times like this she silently congratulated herself that she herself had led the negotiations with the Chinese government back then, which resulted in over-all good connections for the tribe and laid the foundation for the modernisation of the Joketsuzoku. The tribes' future was now ensured, and Kuh Lon was rightfully proud of herself.

**  
**She was even prouder that she had overcome any resistance regarding the modernisation of the tribe, and it was a situation like this that proved the naysayers wrong. Had she not insisted on her plans, the Joketsuzoku would still decline themselves the uses of modern technology and its undeniable advantages. They might be living like their ancestors to keep themselves strong and ready for any battle but that did not mean that they had to deny themselves the progress the modern civilisation had made. Had she not insisted on modernising the tribe she would have had to do what she was planning the old fashioned way; it would have taken weeks, if not months.

**  
**Which would have been far too long in any case in the powder-keg that was Nerima. The tribe had to be capable of acting and reacting without delay despite where its members were presently located, and the modern technology assured that. After reflecting on this, Kuh Lon directed her attention towards the screen. She had work to do.

**  
**Good evening, Elder Cologne.  
You have 0 new messages.  
4 users are online.  
Enjoy your stay. **■**

**  
**Kuh Lon nodded to herself and switched to a secure, fivefold password protected channel, reserved for Elders only. Now she only hoped that Dou Ve, her substitute in the village during her absence, was online. And Kuh Lon began typing...

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
To**: Dou Ve, Substitute Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku

**  
From**: Kuh Lon, Head Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku

**  
Subject**: Change in Plans

**  
**Dou Ve,

**  
**unexpected happenings have led me to the decision to dissolve the Kiss of Marriage and the Kiss of Death between Saotome Ranma and my heir, Xian-Pu. This might come unexpected, but I have my reasons, which will be explained in the following.

**  
**Surely you have heard of the rumours that the Phoenix King Saffron has been defeated and killed by the male Saotome Ranma. These rumours are true. The warrior Xian-Pu and the male Mu-Tzu can give testament to this. As can several outsiders, for this matter.

**  
**I have witnessed the power Saotome Ranma possesses myself today, and it is safe to say it impressed even me. _Very_ much so. Not even the _combined power_ of the Joketsuzoku would be able to stand up to her. And no, I don't exaggerate.As you well know that is not my nature.

**  
**I refer to Saotome Ranma as female due to the fact that she was in female form when she gave a display of her powers. However, it is safe to assume that Saotome Ranmas powers as a male are even greater.

**  
**You will certainly agree with me that it would not be safe to bring a male, even if he is a half-male, who wields power that rivals a god into the tribe. I have the statement of the male Mu-Tzu that Saotome Ranmas powers are now _even greater_ than those of the Phoenix King, and I have no reasons to doubt him.

**  
**The best course of action is to make Saotome Ranma, male and female, a full ally of the tribe. You know our estimations as well as I do, Dou Ve. Any other course of action, especially attacks from our side would lead to disaster. We _can not_ afford to make an enemy of Saotome Ranma. He might have been born a male, but he is so much more.

**  
**My decision is to make Ranma, regardless of the form, a full ally of the tribe. Relate my reasons to the other Elders and see to it that my will is executed swiftly. There is no room for error.

**  
**Kuh Lon.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
**Satisfied with the contents of the message the Elder send it to her substitute. Inwardly she admitted to herself that it had done good to type in Chinese once more, for on some days the Japanese language gave her a headache the size of the mainland.

**  
**Kuh Lon rubbed her tired eyes as she sat before the monitor. Sipping her tea she sighed once more. If only there had been another possibility to bring Saotome Ranma into the tribe. But Fate had seemingly had other plans, and all that was left option-wise was the course of action she had just initiated.

**  
**She only hoped that she had been able to convince Dou Ve with her reasoning. Dou Ve _had_ to see reason, for it would be very difficult for her to convince the other Elders if Dou Ve did not follow her lead.

**  
**But Kuh Lon was confident. Had it been her former substitute, Mu Tzu's great-grandmother Bii Da¹, it would have been hopeless. The old hag had been opposed to everything she had ever done, and the reason why had been clear. Bii Da had wanted Kuh Lons position for herself, but she had been too reckless in her schemes. Or she, Kuh Lon, had been too cautious. Anyway, the outcome had been the same.

**  
**Bii Da had fouled up, and it had been a special treat to expel the old hag from the Council and revoke her status as an Amazon Elder, which had also consolidated her own power and had enabled her to become the Head Elder of the Council; it also had had the nice side-effect that Mu-Tzu had become much less of a nuisance.

**  
**And it sure helped that Dou Ve, Bii Das successor, was one of Kuh Lons oldest friends and quite influential herself, for thus Kuh Lon was quite sure that her plans would be approved of. She only needed Dou Ve's approval, and the other Elders would follow.

**  
**Rubbing her eyes once more she mused about the happenings of the day. Had it really only been one day? So much had happened. First the youngest Tendo had screwed up royally, then Kasumi Tendo had been cursed, and it had come to light that Saotome Ranma and Tendo Kasumi were apparently attracted to each other. Make that not only apparently, but quite obviously.

**  
**Even if they, quite likely, would not admit it either to themselves or the other at present time. And finally Ranma's incredible display of power. The child never ceased to surprise her. Had she been two hundred years younger, she would have been tempted herself. For the first time since long, Kuh Lon allowed her thoughts to drift. She did not know for how long, but to her it seemed like hours.

**  
**The acoustic note of an incoming message raised Kuh Lon out of her musings. The answer she had eagerly awaited had obviously arrived. Before she opened it she looked at the computers watch. Way past 10 p.m. already. She had been sitting here for more than one hour. **'Tempus fugit.'** she mused. Shrugging she opened the message, anticipation prevalent in her being.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
To**: Kuh Lon, Head Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku

**  
From**: Dou Ve, Substitute Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku

**  
Subject**: Re: Change in Plans

**  
**Kuh Lon,

**  
**I must admit that I am surprised. And nothing surprises me easily, as you well know. So the rumours are true, ne? Who would have thought that a male, even if a victim of the Nyannichuan, would be strong enough to defeat and kill the Phoenix God?

**  
**But I digress. I have related what you have pointed out, and I have given the course of action you proposed my full approval. Needless to say, it has caused quite a stir. Two of the younger Elders forgot themselves and wanted to attack Saotome Ranma immediately to 'eliminate a threat to the tribe', but we made them see reason. And that all too gladly. #cackle#

**  
**If what Xian-Pu, Mu Tzu and you yourself said about the powers of Saotome Ranma is true, and we had no reason to doubt it, then attacking him or her would lead to certain disaster. And I know all too well that it is not within your nature to exaggerate, which made the decision easier.

**  
**After that it was unanimously decided to proceed as you suggested. Saotome Ranma, in both forms, will be made a full ally of the tribe with all rights and duties. He/she and all his/her descendents will forever be exempt from the Outsider rules. The Kiss of Marriage as well as the Kiss of Death between your heir Xian-Pu and Saotome Ranma are from now on officially dissolved, without any repercussions for both parties. The official documents will be faxed in a minute or two.

**  
**This is the decision of the Council.

**  
**Dou Ve.

**  
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**  
**Kuh Lon breathed a sigh of relief. If they had decided differently... no, there was no need to dwell on what ifs. The decision had been made in the way she had hoped and silently prayed for, and it was good. After all they (and especially she) had done to Ranma, he/she deserved this.

**  
**It had taken some time for Kuh Lon to admit it to herself, but she had grown fond of Ranma and wished the child the best. That had also been the reason why life had been somewhat quieter for Ranma after the failed wedding. She had exerted her influence on Xian-Pu and had made it clear to her that she would have to win Ranma without her help. After all, it could be interpreted as favouritism that she had helped her great-granddaughter at all.

**  
**Since generations young Joketsuzoku warriors had had to master the task to win their Airen for themselves, and Kuh Lon had come to realise that she had already done too much. She'd have to answer some awkward questions should her actions ever be revealed, but she'd made sure that this would never be the case. And after the outsider rules had been replaced or completely revoked it wouldn't matter any more anyhow.

**  
**Kuh Lon was very glad that the way she had helped Ranma also presented a way for her heir to preserve her honour. The Elder shuddered to think of the fate that would have awaited Xian-Pu had the council decided that she had failed in her pursuit of Ranma. But that was in the past. Now, even if he did not know it yet, Ranma could begin to find him/herself and build a future.

**  
**With a lighter heart Kuh Lon typed an answer.

**  
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**  
To**: My Substitute

**  
From**: The Matriarch

**  
Subject**: Re: Re: Change in Plans

**  
**Dou Ve,

**  
**it is good to see that the council followed my wisdom. Let me guess: the two Elders who were at first opposed to my plan and who had to undergo behavioural correction were Sci Sor and Foe Hn. I always said that those two were too young and immature. Idiots! Always ready to jump the gun without further thought! I may repeat myself, but 150 is no age to attain a Council seat. Bah! Younglings! It warms my heart that you and the others made them see the error of their ways. Did they resist much? #cackle#

**  
**And Ranma's power really _is_ that great. You would not believe the battle aura she exuded! It melted the underground in seconds and nearly blew us off our feet! Believe me when I say that Saotome Ranma has more power than I have ever witnessed before in my over 300 years, and I don't doubt that he/she is on a good way to become one of the strongest individuals on this planet.

**  
**We did the right thing. Now I have 'only' to convince my great-granddaughter of it. Oh the joy!

**  
**Kuh Lon.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
**Satisfied with her answer Kuh Lon leant back and sipped her tea. It was already cold, but that did not matter to the Matriarch. She had just set the empty cup onto the table, when suddenly the fax machine came to live, and a minute later Kuh Lon held the official documents in her hands.

**  
**Documents that declared the Kiss of Marriage and the Kiss of Death null and avoid. Documents that also declared Saotome Ranma, male and female an ally of the tribe, his/her approval provided; plus the insurance that he/she and all of her family and future descendants would forever be exempt from the outsider rules (as long as those still were standing).

**  
**For the first time this day Kuh Lon grinned. If Ranma approved of this, and the Elder was sure that he/she would, they'd gain a very powerful ally soon. Mentally she congratulated herself, for she had made the best out of the situation.

**  
**Smiling a satisfied smile she pocketed the documents in her personal stuff space and leant back once more. Seconds later the computer gave off an acoustic note. Ahh, Dou Ve had obviously answered. Kuh Lon clicked on the message and read.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
To**: The old ghoul

**  
From**: Another old ghoul

**  
Subject**: Re: Re: Re: Change in Plans

**  
**Kuh Lon,

**  
**I agree. We did the right thing. I did not want to admit it at first in case you thought me senile in my old days, but the power surge exuded by, how I now know, Saotome Ranma, was even felt here. A lot of Elders felt it too, and this was also one of the reasons why this decision was made so swiftly after the other Elders had added one and one. To make an enemy of her is not an option! However, this has already been established and serves only as background information.

**  
**And you're right as almost always. It were indeed the Elders Sci Sor and Foe Hn who wanted to go onto the warpath. I admit it was fun to put them down a peg or two. And yes, they did resist much. In the beginning… #evil laugh#

**  
**I don't want to be in your shoes however, sister. You'll probably have much fun when you break the news to the 'kitten'. #cackle# Pardon the pun.

**  
**In conclusion, something official: try to make Saotome Ranma an ally of the tribe as soon as possible. We are waiting for a confirmation.

**  
**Signing off,

**  
**Dou Ve.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
**Kuh Lon grimaced and typed. Oh yeah, it _would_ be so much fun to break the news to her 'kitten'. But she would postpone it for now. It would be much better for her eardrums and her sanity.

**  
**No, she would tell Xian-Pu when she was old enough to be on the Council herself. By then, she would hopefully be mature enough to understand her reasoning. Yes, that sounded like a plan. And in the meantime she'd keep her great-granddaughter so busy with chores that she'd have no time to brood on the situation.

**  
**Cackling to herself she continued to type.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
To**: The younger old ghoul

**  
From**: The older old ghoul

**  
Subject**: Re: Re: Re: Re: Change in Plans

**  
**Dou Ve,

**  
**it does not surprise me that the power surge was felt even in the village. Heck, it would not surprise me if it was felt world-wide. It's only a good thing that the annoying male he-whose-name-is-a-curse-in-our-tribe is touring Europe at present. Unthinkable what would have happened had he been present. Had he been able to absorb ki from her in that state, he might have become an even greater pest. But I digress.

**  
**Of course I will try to make things official as soon as possible. By the way, do you think it would be suffice to tell the 'kitten' the change in plans once she is old enough to take her own place on the Council?

**  
**And what do you mean 'as _almost_ always'? I am _always_ right! #cackle#

**  
**Signing off,

**  
**Kuh Lon.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
**Satisfied with herself she logged off and shut the computer down. Then Kuh Lon got up and went downstairs. Another cup of tea was called for. She had just set a kettle on the stove when she heard a knock at the door. Producing her staff Kuh Lon went to check who it was.

**  
A while earlier**

**  
**Ranma, Kasumi-otoko and Nodoka were still sitting in the sitting room, while Nabiki had excused herself and had returned to her room. Nodoka had, unbeknownst to the younger attendees, recovered from the shock that the mentioning of the name Masaki had induced in her, which might also have something to do with the excellent performance they had given some minutes before.

**  
**How her daughter and Kasumi had interacted had brought hearts into her eyes, for those two had really acted like a couple! Even if they had been in their cursed forms at that time. Their act had been so convincing that Nodoka had barely resisted the urge to scream 'grandchildren!'. How those two had looked together, like the perfect couple.

**  
**It had not even disturbed her that Ranma had been her daughter at this time, and for the first time she was glad that she had shot her view of manliness out of the window. Those two were so cute together! And the concept of her child being a gentleman or gentle person suited Ranma much better, and her child was acting a lot more carefree than ever before. Kasumi had been right, she _had_ been pressurising Ranma without even realising it. But those times were over now, except for the odd push her child would still need to accept her femininity.

**  
**Presently Ranma was telling Kasumi-otoko about her experiences at the Masaki house, and Kasumi was listening spellbound. The looks Kasumi was giving Ranma during this were very much to Nodokas' liking, and the casual and carefree way Ranma was relating the story showed that a lot of the stress that had affected her child in the past was gone. It was so nice to see her child smile for a change and did her as her mother a world of good.

**  
**Normally Nodoka Saotome would have enjoyed such a sight immensely. But right now she could not enjoy it as much as she usually would have, for she was again reflecting upon what she had learned from her child before the Kuno-incident. She should have _known_ that Genma would do something stupid. But to stop by there, after what had happened... that was really stupid, even for Genma.

**  
**Otherwise she had to agree with Ranma's assessment. It would indeed be the perfect place. Surely Genma had already forgotten everything, after all, according to Ranma it lay more than ten years in the past. Or so Nodoka hoped.

**  
**She could also not say anything to Ranma that regarded the Masaki clan. She just could not bring herself to do so. Nodoka only hoped that her child would not hate her once he/she found out. Now she could do no more but to listen to her child and hope to read from her narrations if Kasumi and her child would be welcome.

**  
**..."you know, they have this really big house. It's awesome! I bet you'll love it there! Tenchi, his pop and his grandfather surely have enough room, so I don't think we even have to announce that we're coming. We can just go on a training trip into the region and be there in a week or two. Ain't it cool?" Ranma enthused.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded and smiled. Ranmas enthusiasm was infectious. "Yes, Ranma. It sure sounds great. But are you sure that we do not need to announce that we are coming?"

**  
**Ranma smiled back and waved it off. "Me 'n Tenchi wrote each other for years. He always said I could come and live there if need be. Sadly I had no contact to him ever since I went to China, or to term it better, was dragged off there by oyaji. And ever since I came to Nerima I never really had the time to sit down and write Tenchi. But I'm sure we're welcome!"she exclaimed with a smile on her face.

**  
**Kasumi-otokos smile deepened, and not only because of what Ranma had said but also because of her beautiful smile. "If you're sure. Oh, I still have to pick a name for my new ID-card."

**  
**Footsteps could be heard from the stairway. "You got that right, 'bro'. The only thing I need now are the names you have chosen for your cursed forms. All I need now are those names and the new ID can be created. So, have you picked one?" Nabiki asked.

**  
**Ranma grinned. "Should be obvious in my case. After all, I pretended to be Ranko Tendo, and I hated it. It was just not me and if I'm going to live as a girl, then as myself. So it is totally clear that I'll stick by the choice we made – I'll be Ránmā Saotome."

**  
**Nabiki nodded, and Nodoka smiled. She had expected as much. "And you, bro? How will my big bro be named?" Nabiki asked in jest.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko thought for a moment. He had not really had the time to think about an appropriate name until now. "Hmm... how about Yoshiro²? I liked it when Ranma used the name to fool Kuno." he stated.

**  
**Nabiki pondered this and smirked. As did Nodoka. Ranma looked thoughtful, and then she nodded with a smile on her face. "Due to the curse this is true, Kasumi. Mmh, it is appropriate. And I like the name. I had not even thought about the meaning of the name when I pretended to be your wife to confuse Kuno. Really, I like it."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled. Ranma's approval meant much to him, and when she had said that she liked the name he had felt strangely pleased. "Thank you, Ránmā-chan." he said, pronouncing the name correctly.

**  
**Ranma smiled back. This coming from Kasumi was not so bad, it was more something of a compliment. After all, 'chan' was only used for familiar and close persons. "You're welcome, Kas-chan." she said without thinking.

**  
**Then it dawned on her. Damn, she had done it again! She had used a pet name for Kasumi, and this time Kasumi was even in male form! Man, what a slip of tongue! But Nodoka literally glowed once more, and Nabiki wore an amused smirk. In her opinion it was still too funny to see how Ranma brought him/herself into such situations.

**  
**But like last time, Kasumi did not object, rather he looked pleased at what she had said. And Ranma grinned inwardly and analyzed the situation. **'Kasumi looked _very_ pleased when I said it _and_ he blushed. And when we hugged in the kitchen a while ago it felt _very_ good. This is definitely different from what I felt for Akane. For one, it is more intense, and then there is this strange feeling when Kasumi smiles at me, and that in both forms! Could it be that I more than only like Kasumi?'** she mused to herself.

**  
'Would that be so bad?'** another half of her mind asked.

**  
'Kasumi is only a _friend_!'** the first half shot back, clearly on the defensive.

**  
'Sure, keep telling that yourself. But you couldn't even fool the baka panda with it. No, Kasumi is _more_, and you know it! Why did the hugs feel so good if she's only a friend? And why were we so pleased when she blushed at the pet name? Admit it, Saotome, she is _more_ than a friend!'** the second voice shot back.

**  
'...'** came from the first voice.

**  
'See? I told you so!'** triumphed the second voice with glee.

**  
'Oh, oh,'** Ranma thought as she shook her head, **'now I know I am losing it... I am hearing voices. Maybe one too many hits to the head from the uncute tomboy... but the voices got that right... Kasumi _is_ more than a friend. It remains to be seen how much more...' s**he mused.

**  
**Meanwhile the others were watching her with interest. Ranma noticed this, looked up and blushed. "Sorry, I spaced off for a bit."

**  
**Giggles and laughter ensued, causing Ranma to blush even more. After Kasumi had gathered his bearings (he had been extraordinarily pleased with the pet name) he had to ask his sister a question that burned under his nails. "Nabiki, I must ask you how you plan to get new ID-cards for both of our cursed forms. I hope it is nothing illegal, for I would hate to see if you were put to jail for helping us. Please tell me it is not something illegal." he said with obvious concern in his voice.

**  
**Nabiki only smirked her high-and-mighty smirk in return. "Now that would be telling, bro."

**  
**Now Nodoka intervened. She had not really given it much thought until now, but Kasumi had raised a valid point. If what Nabiki did to get the ID-cards for Ranma and Kasumi was illegal, she could very well be send to prison. And that for a long time! "Nabiki, your brother is right. This is no peccadillo if it is illegal. Please alleviate our worries and do tell." she said in a gentle but at the same time commanding tone.

**  
**Finally, after some moments of intense internal debate Nabiki gave in. She absolutely hated to reveal her tricks, but it seemed as if she had no other choice. She knew how persistent auntie and Kasumi could be. "Okay, fine. Rip a woman off her secrets, will you." Then she sighed. "To pacify you, it is nothing illegal, far from it. To be honest, I have cooperated with the Jusenkyo Products Ltd."

**  
**At the two incredulous and one curious stares Nabiki elaborated. "Auntie, Jusenkyo Products Ltd. is a business company that specialises in products for curse victims. And as you all know, the springs existed for a very long time and a lot of people have fallen into gender altering springs. Ever since modern means of identification like ID-cards have become common and their possession a duty throughout the modern world, the Jusenkyo Products Ltd. provides documents describing the curse, all scientifically approved of course. Their documents are airtight, and the administrations of the modern countries had no choice but to accept the curses as true facts, especially after some demonstrations of the gender-changing curses. In our homeland a special bureau dealing with Jusenkyo victims has been established in the 80s, and they help fast and unbureaucratic."

**  
**"WHAT!" exclaimed the three listeners in stereo.

**  
**Nabiki smirked. "Yes, there is an authority dealing with Jusenkyo curses, and of course it's strictly secret. The Jusenkyo Products Ltd. faxed the data they had of you, Ranma, to said bureau, including an eye-witness account from the Jusenkyo guide. For a fee, of course. A fee I paid, I might add. The only thing necessary and missing is to fax the data I have on Kasumi here to the bureau, including the pictures I took." she finished.

**  
**To say that Ranma, Nodoka and Kasumi were baffled would have been a clear understatement. "There... there is a _bureau_ for Jusenkyo curse victims?" Ranma managed to ask.

**  
**"The... the curses are common knowledge?" Nodoka asked at the same time.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko just sat there, at a loss of words. Nabiki smirked. It was good to know that she'd it still in her. "To answer your question, Ranma, yes, there is. To answer your question, auntie, no, not common knowledge. But the higher ranks in the administration and in the government, to which the 'Bureau Dealing with Jusenkyo curse Victims' belongs, do know. And now that I know the name for my older brother, I'll get to work again. The agency works fast and they have an express delivery, so it should be ready soon. And don't worry, I chose nice photographs for your new IDs. Trust me." Nabiki said with a smirk.

**  
**"Umm, Nabiki," Ranma began, "today is Saturday."

**  
**"And?" Nabiki asked, "They don't have weekends. This is a highly specialised agency." she finished as if that would explain everything.

**  
**Nice and helpful as this all was, one thing irritated Ranma immensely. "How come you never told me before of this bureau? It could have spared me a lot of trouble with my other form in the past." she annotated. "For example, I wouldn't have had to run off as if all hell was on my heels each time a police officer wanted to talk to me because of the odd fight I was involved in my cursed form. It could all have been much easier! Especially during the one time when I was locked due to the Cats Tongue. Those were over three weeks where I had no way to prove my identity!"

**  
**Nabiki held up a placating hand. "I would have told you if I had known myself, for a fee, of course." she said smirking. "But I just recently learned of this myself. And cause I still owe you a favour and because I _want_ to help my sister and you I began to make preparations. Apropos, gotta get back to work. After all, you wanted to be off before the old men return, ne?" she asked and went upstairs, without waiting for an answer.

**  
**Ranma leant back. She felt like she had been hit by a freight-train. A freight-train being driven by sheer astonishment. Who would have guessed that Nabiki would pull the strings for her? Not that she minded, but it was unusual. Hmm, maybe it was Nabiki's payback for the profit she had made through all the photos. That could be it.

**  
**Suddenly a thought came to Ranma. "Mom, Kas-chan," this time she used the pet name voluntarily to see the cute blush, "if Nabiki is right, and I don't doubt that she is, the IDs will arrive soon. The old men are still out and will probably be until early next morning which will give us enough time, but Kasumi and I still need a head-start. What we still need is the soap. And tomorrow will be far too late. I'll go and get it!" she said.

**  
**A peck on the cheeks of both Kasumi and Nodoka later, and Ranma was off. She was already out of the door when Kasumi touched the spot where she had kissed him, and Ranma did not see the pleased blush appear on his face. Nodoka did and smiled to herself. Hopefully things would work out. But it sure looked promising…

**  
**Some minutes of rooftop-hopping later Ranma landed in the backyard of the Nekohanten. She dusted herself off and knocked at the backdoor. Hopefully the old ghoul was still up…

**  
**¹ if anyone knows the real name of Mu-Tzus' great-grandmother, let me know**  
**² means "free son" in Japanese

**  
to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

**  
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	10. No more Amazon chase

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 10: No more (Amazon) chase**

**  
**Cologne opened the door cautiously, her staff at the ready. This was Nerima after all, the town of craziness. Who knew who it was?

**  
**Suddenly a voice called out, startling the old matriarch. "Hello, old ghoul. Nice to see ya still up 'n about!"

**  
**Cologne suppressed a groan. "Son-in... Ranma. It is not nice to surprise an old woman like that. After all, I'm not 200 any more."

**  
**Ranma smirked. "Don't say I frightened ya, old ghoul?"

**  
**The Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku bristled. "Of course not! You're 295 years too late for that!" she exclaimed and bopped Ranma on the head with her staff. "And now be more respectful!"

**  
**Ranma rubbed her head briefly and shrugged. Then she composed herself and did what Kasumi wanted of her. To speak normal and composed. "Okay, Elder Cologne. Has it a specific reason why you didn't call me 'son-in-law' any more? I mean come on, you always called me 'son-in-law'. Why stop now?"

**  
**The Elder grinned. "Best if we discuss this inside, Ranma." she said and made an inviting gesture.

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist shrugged once more and followed Cologne through the backdoor inside the Nekohanten, closing the door on her way in.

**  
**A minute later both had settled down in a booth, and Cologne began to explain. "I have stopped to call you son-in-law because I had the Kiss of Marriage and the Kiss of Death dissolved." she said and literally dropped the bombshell.

**  
**Ranma was at a loss for words for a moment. Then... "WHAT!" she exclaimed, and that rather loudly. "The chase for me is off after all this time? Just like that?" she asked disbelieving and quite loud.

**  
**Cologne nodded to herself. It was a good thing she had given her Xian-Pu the sleeping potion. Even _her_ eardrums hurt, and they had built up a good tolerance over the centuries. "It is true, Ranma. I decided that Shampoo had all the chances to win you as her Airen. The chase is off, for good."

**  
**Ranma nodded, obviously pleased to hear this, but at the same time she also looked worried. "But what about Shampoo? Isn't that bad for her? I mean, couldn't she be punished by your people in the village when she returns without me as her Airen? After all, she got punished with the c… c… neko-curse after she failed for the first time! I don't want anything bad happen to her."

**  
**What Ranma had said warmed Cologne's heart. Her care for others was unprecedented, and in this moment Cologne knew more than ever that she had done the right thing. "Normally, yes." the Elder nodded, "If a warrior fails to win her Airen twice the punishment is either death or being locked in the cursed form the warrior received after the first failure. Which is equal to a death sentence, as no human can bear the thought of living as an animal for the rest of their natural lives. But this is a special case. I argued that one with the power to kill a god should not be forced into a marriage he obviously does not want. Else it could have serious repercussions. In the end I had to exert some of my influence, but the Council was made to see reason. There is, however, one condition."

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded. She had expected something like that. There was _always_ a catch. "Shoot, Elder."

**  
**Cologne schooled her features and made a solemn face. "Saotome Ranma, this one humbly asks you to become an ally of the Joketsuzoku Amazons. As such you will, as will all of your descendents, forever be exempt from the Outsider rules. What is your answer?"

**  
**Ranma once more felt like she had got hit by a speeding freight-train, this time driven by utter astonishment. It took her some seconds to gather her bearings. Now talk about unexpected! "What does it mean in detail, Elder?" she then asked, trying to play it cool. Soul of ice indeed.

**  
**Cologne nodded. She was being respectful. A good sign. "Well, it means that you will help the tribe in a time of need. Should we be attacked, we would call upon you. You don't have to fear that you would get involved in a war of aggression. After what happened at Jusendo, peace treaties have been made between the Musk, the Phoenix people and ourselves. As an ally of the tribe you would also be entitled to learn more of our more... illustrious and powerful techniques. How do you decide, Ranma?"

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist licked her lips. No Kiss of Marriage and Death, no Outsider rules, assistance only in case of need. That did not sound half bad. To be honest, it sounded really good. And new techniques, eh? "I accept, Elder Cologne. However, I want official documents that ya cancelled the Kisses. And also about the ally bit and about anything else ya mentioned."

**  
**The Elder grinned. Ranma had really gotten sharp. Nodding, she reached into her personal stuff space and pulled the requested documents out. "I have anticipated your request, Ranma. Here." she said and handed her the documents.

**  
**Ranma took them from Cologne and studied them. Yup. Looked authentic. "You have hereby gained an ally, Elder Cologne." she said, pocketed the documents in her own stuff space (much to Cologne's wonderment) and extended her hand.

**  
**Cologne took it and shook it. "Welcome to the tribe, Ranma. Even if differently than I had envisioned. Now you only have to sign these papers so I can fax your acceptance to the tribe." she said.

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist nodded and took the papers. She studied them thoroughly and found nothing wrong with them. They did not even contain fine-print, only the plain wording  
_'Herewith do I, Saotome Ranma, acknowledge being an ally of the tribe of the Joketsuzoku Amazons with all privileges and duties. I have been informed that as an ally of the tribe I will only be called upon in times of need, specifically if the tribe is under attack by outside forces. I can never be forced into a war of aggression, and no authority within the tribe can order me to. I have further been informed that my family and all my future descendants will be forever exempt from the outsider rules for now and forever._

_Signed'_

**  
**Ranma nodded to herself, signed the document and handed it back to Cologne, who pocketed it and gave her a carbon copy of the text in return. "There, done." the pigtailed girl said. "And I can imagine that you would have liked another way better, but _I_ like it much better this way." she said grinning. "But what about Shampoo? Does she know?"

**  
**The Matriarch looked sad for a brief moment, and then shook her head. "No, she does not. And it will be very hard on her. She loves you very much, Ranma."

**  
**Ranma sighed. "I know, Elder Cologne, and I wish I could do something about it. But I don't love her. Not like she loves me. Like Ucchan, I love her more like a sister, despite all what the two have done to me and my family. When will ya tell her?" she asked.

**  
**Cologne grimaced. "If it was an option, I would tell her when she is old enough to attain her own seat on the Council. Cause I'd probably be dead by then." she cackled. "But I digress. I have not really decided when I will tell her of the changes, but I feel that the sooner it tell her, the better it will be. I will however give you and Kasumi enough time to erase your tracks completely should she decide to act against my will and continue the pursuit without the consent of the tribe. I will prepare her for the news and hope for the best. But you came for another reason, Ranma. The soap?"

**  
**Ranma grinned. "The soap. It was decided that Kasumi 'n me will leave tonight before the old farts return and have a chance to ruin everything. That's why I need the soap now."

**  
**The Elder nodded. "Wait a moment, I will be right back." she said and stood up. Some minutes later she came pogoing back into the room, balancing two boxes in her left hand. She placed them on the table before Ranma. "Here you go. It will be suffice to last you one month. Both of you. Do you know where you want to go?"

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist nodded. "Yes." she said. Then she fetched a beer mat from the table and scribbled down her mail-address, which she then handed to Cologne. "Don't let the old farts or anyone else get their hands on this. Nobody aside from Kasumi, Nabiki and my mother even know that I have an e-mail address or that I can work a computer. I trust you with it, for I don't want that the old farts get the idea to hack my acc in order to find out what's going on. I wouldn't put it past the panda. And learning how to work a comp is easy with Anything Goes martial arts computing." she said with a smirk.

**  
**Cologne nodded solemnly. "I won't violate your trust, Ranma. As soon as the packages containing the soap arrive I will send a message to this address, and you can write me back where you want the soap delivered to. But now to other matters." she said, and Ranma listened raptly. "What you said is right. You should leave the Tendo Dojo as fast as possible. Before you go to wherever you're traveling to however, I would like to teach you the Bakusai Tenketsu. And I would like to teach Tendo Kasumi some basic defensive moves. What with your life-style I am sure that she will need them." she said and cackled.

**  
**Ranma grinned. She had always wanted to learn the Breaking Point technique. From watching Ryoga using the the Bakusai Tenketsu she had already learned the technique, but she knew that she lacked the hardening part of the training.

**  
**Which made the Bakusai Tenketsu essentially useless for her, as only the Amazons knew how to harden the body efficiently to resist the disastrous side effects of the Breaking Point technique. Thus she nodded. "That would be great! The best would be if ya'd accompany us for the time I need ta learn the technique. Hmm, but what about Shampoo?" she then asked to herself.

**  
**The Elder nodded. Shampoo could not be left to her own devices. The same applied for Mousse. After some seconds of intense thinking she snatched her fingers. "I have it. I will simply send her on a trip to collect some rare herbs in the mountains of Niigata. And Mousse I'll send away to the next bigger city to stock up or storage, which should keep him busy long enough. I'll leave a note listing what I need and tell them that I had to go and research something. As this is not uncommon for me they will not suspect anything. If you could get Miss Tendo, we could leave."

**  
**Ranma smirked. "Good planning. But that can be expected of ya." she said grinning. "Okay, I'll go and get Kasumi. But it might take a while, as we may have to wait for our new ID-cards."

**  
**Cologne raised a brow at that, but Ranma waved it off. "I'll explain later. But now…"

**  
**The cursed martial artist was interrupted before she could finish. "One question, Ranma, why do you wear slacks?" she asked, cackling.

**  
**Ranma blushed. "There was this stupid accident with the cold-water-pipe which also destroyed the stove. Now there is apparently no way to change back. And my clothes got wet and nothing would fit my female form. Thus I had to wear slacks."

**  
**The Elder nodded. "If you want you can change back here. I have a spare pair of Chinese clothes from Mousse, and it would be no bother to heat some water."

**  
**Out of principle Ranma nodded. She had indeed gotten used to the slacks, but she still liked her Chinese clothes better. "That'd be great! Thanks!"

**  
**Cologne grinned. "My pleasure."

**  
**Five minutes later Ranma was back in male form and clad in his favourite clothes, and he was more than ready to return to the Tendo Dojo. "Thanks again, Cologne. I'll leave the soap here and return as soon as possible. Till later!" he exclaimed and bounded away.

**  
**The Elder only shook her head. So young and full of energy. If only she were 200 years younger…

**  
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**  
**It took Ranma only a few minutes to get back to the Tendo Dojo. He had done the rooftop-hopping on autopilot and had thus had enough time to reflect on the newest events. He could not help himself, but he had the distinct impression that his life was improving.

**  
**He would not be hunted by the Amazons any longer, nor would he get malletted by Akane any more. The reason why he had allowed her to hit him had dissipated into nothingness, and if she should try it again in the future he'd show her the worth of her mallet-attack against a fast and durable target. Now he 'only' had to convince Ukyo that he wanted nothing more than to be her friend.

**  
**And he had to get the Kuno's to back off. He also had the itsy-bitsy task to get completely used to his curse. He sighed. That were still enough tasks to drive any normal man insane. But that was the key word. 'Normal'. To be honest, he had _never_ done normal.

**  
**Ranma just jumped onto the roof of the Tendo Dojo when he noticed a black, inconspicuous car entering the street. Which _made_ it suspicious in his book. He watched intently as a man and a woman, both Asians, and clad in black suits, left the car and strode towards the Dojo.

**  
**He shrugged and landed elegantly in the backyard, from which he entered the house. Kasumi, Nabiki and his mother were sitting on the sofa, apparently watching some soap opera or something. Well, Nabiki was rather reading her newspaper while Kasumi and his mother watched. Interestingly, Kasumi was back in her birthform too. Odd…

**  
**Then he got a better glimpse of what was running on the TV.Yuck! He had never understood the fascination females developed regarding that... that waste of time that were those corny soap operas. And he hoped that he as a shenever would. With a cough he announced his presence. "Hey all, I'm back. And before I tell you how it went and what happened, we'll be getting visitors."

**  
**And before anyone could say anything, the bell rang. Kasumi, who was incidentally sitting closest to the door went and opened said door. As Ranma had expected, it were the two suit-clad people he had watched from the roof. "Good evening, how can we help you?" Kasumi asked.

**  
**The woman answered. "Hello, I'm agent Kyle and this is agent Smith. We are from the Bureau Dealing with Jusenkyo curse Victims." she said, and both showed their passes.

**  
**Nabiki, who had appeared behind her sister, checked them. "Looks okay. Please come in." she said, although she and the others knew that the names the agents had used to introduce themselves were most probably aliases. But as their passes looked okay there did not seem to be any immediate danger.

**  
**The two agents nodded. "Thank you." the woman said. "We don't have much time, so we'll make it quick. I guess that you," she pointed at Ranma, "are Ranma Saotome." she said while looking at a small picture in her right hand and comparing it to the man standing before her.

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Good." the agent said, "And who of you is Kasumi Tendo?"

**  
**"That's me." Kasumi said.

**  
**"Okay. Now I need you to change to your cursed forms to verify your stories. The material we got on you was pretty much convincing, but if you should have lied or falsified information you're in for a lot of trouble." Agent Kyle warned in a no-nonsense tone.

**  
**Ranma smirked. "No worries here." he said, grabbed a convenient glass of water and upended it over his head, becoming a she in a matter of seconds.

**  
**The Agents nodded. The change they had witnessed just now was more than enough visual evidence of a gender-changing curse. Such a bust-line could not be faked in a matter of mere seconds; and there were also the other altered physical aspects to consider, like the loss of height, for example. This was indeed the real thing. "As often as I see that, I must admit that it is always astounding anew. And you, Miss Tendo?" Agent Smith asked.

**  
**Kasumi only smiled. She used the glass of water she had been drinking from previously and triggered the transformation, becoming male in the process. Nodoka then handed both a towel so that they could dry off the excess water.

**  
**Agent Kyle nodded. "Looks real enough to me." she said, and Agent Smith nodded. "This one is for you, Miss Saotome, and that one for you, Mr. Tendo. Your maintenance histories have been modified to suit your cursed forms so that you won't have any problems with school or university. The medical reports have also been dealt with. Now the only thing we need from you is an autograph that you have received the ID-cards."

**  
**Both Ranma and Kasumi-otoko nodded and did as asked. "Thank you very much." they said in unison and bowed.

**  
**The Agents bowed back. "It was our pleasure. We have to leave now. Good luck!" Agent Kyle said.

**  
**"Thanks!" both Kasumi-otoko and Ranma said in stereo, looked at each other and shared a smile. The Saotomes and Tendos then accompanied the Agents to the door and watched them leave. Another hurdle had been overcome, and slowly the situation started to look brighter.

**  
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**  
**After the Agents had driven off Ranma, Kasumi-otoko, Nodoka and Nabiki returned into the living room.

**  
**"And, Ránmā Saotome, how do you feel?" Nabiki asked teasingly.

**  
**Said Ranma blushed. "Not different than before, to be honest. But I gotta thank you, Nabiki. Thanks for helping me 'n Kasumi." she said and hugged Nabiki spontaneously.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter was surprised at first, but then she hugged Ranma back. "You're welcome, kiddo. As are you, bro." she said towards Kasumi-otoko with a smirk playing in the corner of her mouth.

**  
**It was funny to tease her sister-turned-brother, and it was just too bad that she couldn't do that in the upcoming months. But she still had other things to keep her occupied, like her temperamental little sister and two stupid old men for example. No, there was no chance that life would get boring, even with Ranma gone.

**  
**Minutes later they had settled down, and Ranma began to relate the story of what had happened at the Nekohanten. When she had finished, everyone was astonished.

**  
**"So that means..." began Nodoka.

**  
**..."that I won't be hunted by the Amazons any longer!" finished Ranma and jumped up with a huge grin plastered on her face. Seconds later she was engulfed in a hug by her mother that could rival an Amazon glomp any time.

**  
**After the hug had been released, the Tendos felt it prudent to congratulate too. "Nice going, Ranma. Ally of the tribe and the Amazons off of your back, ne? Not bad for a jock." Nabiki joked.

**  
**"Nabiki!" Kasumi-otoko scolded. "She is no jock!" he exclaimed indignantly. Then he embraced Ranma in a warm hug. "I'm glad for you, Ranma." he said in a soft voice.

**  
**Neither Nabiki nor Nodoka could deny the feelings that were displayed in this hug. To not see and feel it one had to be blind and deaf. And total insensitive to boot. And dead. And even _then_ it would have been hard to miss. Nodoka nodded softly to herself. Apparently she had been right about those two, even if both would probably deny it at the top of their lungs at the moment.

**  
**But it would be so nice to see love blossom from this, and the sparks that were literally flying between the two were a very good start. Nodoka grinned at the potential future that might await her child, and she was once more, true to form, hard pressed not to scream 'grandchildren' and do the victory dance.

**  
**Ranma did not notice any of this. She felt like melting in the comforting hug Kasumi-otoko was giving her. It was just so nice to be held and to share the joy of a shared embrace with someone she really liked. And it was so unlike those forced, one-sided Amazon glomps she had grown to hate in the past months. No, this here she really liked, for it felt so… safe, and warm, and caring. Mmh, if only she could stay like this forever...

**  
**A cough reminded them that they were not alone in the room, and Nodoka nearly felt like scolding Nabiki for having done so. Those two had looked so lovely and cute together, even if they had been in their cursed forms. But that did not really matter to Nodoka any more; all that mattered after the disaster of the past months was that her child was happy. Which was obviously the case.

**  
**It was a blushing Ranma and an equally blushing Kasumi-otoko who separated, but obviously very reluctantly.  
After that Ranma proceeded to tell the rest, and Nodoka nodded. "I agree with Cologne, Ranma. It is a good idea for Kasumi to learn some martial arts, even if only for protection. And you should leave soon. Who knows when your father and Soun will return?"

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko nodded. "We'll hafta get some clothes for the time we'll be on the road. You can take some of mine, Kasumi. They should fit ya. And from now on ya'll need boxers, so I'll pack some boxers for ya too. As you came to know, it ain't nice to wear panties when ya change. And we can't use the soap until we have arrived at Tenchi's. He only knows a male Ranma."

**  
**"Ranma, your language." Kasumi-otoko scolded.

**  
**"Sorry, Kasumi." Ranma said. Then she sighed. "You know, it is nice that things have been cleared with the Amazons, but there's still the problem with Ukyo. I only see her as my best childhood friend and she is still and always will be nothing more than a friend for me, but she thinks I love her as more than a friend. And because her honour is hanging in the line she'll never give up on her claim on me. What am I gonna do, mom?" she asked.

**  
**Her mother looked thoughtful, and no immediate solution came to her mind. Thus she began to think loudly about the problem, an approach that had helped her ever since she had come to know just how much her husband had fouled up their childs' life.

**  
**Nodoka stood up and began pacing, while the others watched her. "Hmm, husband promised you to Ukyo Kuonji because of the dowry her father gave him, which was a yattai, if I recall correctly." Ranma nodded, and her mother continued her musings. "And after my stupid oaf of a husband had run away with the yattai and left poor Ukyo behind, her father had the superb idea to declare her as a male. Something you thought her to be from the start anyway. And her status as a male would only be revoked should she succeed in either fulfilling the engagement or in killing both you and your father. Thus she spent more than ten years training in her art, and when she was sixteen she transferred to your highschool and wanted to beat you up. You as the martial artist you are managed to defeat her, but then you told her that she was cute and would have no trouble in finding a husband. Which lead to her falling in love with you, right, my child?"

**  
**Ranma nodded and sat down; as did Kasumi-otoko, in the seat next to her. After her mother had found out about the other engagements she had filled her in, and it had been a special treat to see her enraged mother hunting down a certain dumb and greedy panda. Any time she thought back she had to suppress her laughter. But that was easy right now, considering the seriousness of the situation. Her own problems regarding a certain engagement had been solved. But her stupid father had left her in an impossible situation, and it would be hard to find a way through which neither of them would lose face or honour.

**  
**Nodoka continued pacing and mumbled some profanities and curses about her husband, his stupidity, greed and lack of intelligence and integrity in general. "And due to what husband did, namely running away with the dowry, Ukyo has now a claim on you that is as strong as the Tendo claim. Bravo, husband, you managed to create a fine mess." she summarised. "Apropos mess, dear, what is that Neko-ken training you mentioned?" she asked her daughter.

**  
**The redhead sweated. "Umm… only some training technique that did not work, mom. Let pop tell ya what it was about when he's back. Ain't a good idea if I told ya." she said, hoping to avoid the cataclysmic explosion of rage an explanation of the Neko-ken would provoke in her mother.

**  
**Said mother nodded slowly, while a dangerous glint appeared in her eyes. "If I asked you if it was something stupid, daughter, and you had only to nod, would you do it? I promise that I won't question you further, but a certain panda _will_ have to answer me."

**  
**And in the bar where Genma Saotome was presently getting drunk said Genma suddenly began to sneeze, and he asked himself what was going on as a very cold shudder ran over his spine. Something was up, and it did not seem to bode well for him. Shrugging he downed another glass of booze. He'd think about it tomorrow if he remembered it.

**  
**In the living room of the Tendos' Ranma was torn. On the one hand she did not want to see her father quartered, sliced and shredded to bits, as he was her father after all; but on the other hand her mother had the right to know what stupid pops had done to her. Then she shrugged. After all, nodding couldn't hurt, could it? Not as far as she could tell anyway. "Okay mom. Sounds fair." she said, and subsequently she nodded vigorously.

**  
**This was all Nodoka had wanted to know. It seemed as if she'd have to sharpen her katana before husband returned. She'd need her choice-weapon in top-condition for the interrogation of the prisoner… ehm, for the questioning of her dear husband.

**  
**Gauging from the behaviour of her daughter Genma seemed to have done something really stupid. Which was nothing new, but this Neko-ken training seemed to score pretty high in the stupidity index. Anyway, she'd soon find out. "Good, dear. Thank you for the answer. I will… ask your father later." she said and unconsciously cracked her knuckles.

**  
**Ranma winced, while Nabiki looked positively gleeful at the perspective of Genma getting what was coming for him. Surprisingly even Kasumi-otoko looked somewhat amused, even if he hid it to a certain degree. All in all, the Saotome youth was glad that she didn't have to answer the question, else their plans of going onto the trip might have been interrupted by the murder of one Genma Saotome at the hands of his wife. **'Only good that I'll be away when mom will 'question' pop. That could turn ugly…'** she thought.

**  
**Meanwhile Nodoka had suppressed the several different ways of how to prolong someones' pain she'd mentally recited and concentrated on the problem that the other engagement presented. "Where was I? Oh yes, thanks to husband the Kuonji claim is as strong as the Tendo claim. And Ukyo has to either kill husband and you or she has to marry you, else she'll lose what is left of her honour and will never be allowed to live as a woman ever again." she summarised. Then she made a disgruntled face. "Genma, you are a first-class idiot! The only thing that comes to mind is to scrutinise if the Kuonji claim has any weaknesses. What exactly happened to the dowry after your father ran off with it, dear?"

**  
**The pigtailed girl grimaced. "After it had lost its usefulness to pop he hid it somewhere in some cavern, but I really dunno if I'd be able to find it again. But aside from that, Ukyo had already lost her dowry to the Gambling King before stupid pop ever stole it; which means that her dowry has not been stolen from her by stupid pop. But there is the fact that there was a verbal agreement between pop and Ukyos' father."

**  
**Nodoka's brow furrowed. "The Gambling King, dear?" she asked.

**  
**Ranma sighed and launched herself into an explanation of how Ukyo and she had met the Gambling King for the first time and what had happened back then.

**  
**Afterwards Nodoka nodded. "You are right, technically the Kuonjis do not have a claim on you as the dowry had been lost before the agreement had been made. Therefore husband did not steal the property of the Kuonjis which they had chosen as a dowry, but the property of the Gambling King, even if he had gained it through cheating. But it remains that it would be much better if we could return the yattai to strengthen our position further. Don't worry, my child, I will look into it."

**  
**The redhead looked at her mother. "But mom, we must find a way so that Ukyo can regain her honour. I don't want her getting hurt! She's a good friend, even if she thinks that she's more. And if you'd just declare the engagement as null and void she might do something rash! We gotta find a way ta help her, mom!"

**  
**Her mother nodded and smiled. Her child had indeed a heart of gold, and if anyone fitted the definition of a gentle person, then her child. "I understand, dear. And I will do my utmost to find a solution that will restore the honour of Ukyo without damaging yours. But you realise that it will be hard."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Yes, mom. But there's gotta be a way. I hope…" she trailed off.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko took Ranmas hand in his and squeezed it to show her that she had his full support. Then he had an idea. "Nabiki, you have better ways of getting information than anyone else I know. Could you help auntie to find a solution while we're away?"

**  
**Nabiki smiled at her sister-turned-brother. She had never managed to refuse Kasumi anything, not if he/she used that look. "Okay, bro. I'll see what I can do, but as usual, I can't promise anything."

**  
**The cursed Tendo smiled back at his younger sister. "That's all I ask, Nabiki. Thank you."

**  
**Ranma smiled too. "Yeah, thanks, Nabiki. And thank you too, Kas-chan, that was really a good idea." she said and gave Kasumi-otoko a (unbeknownst to her) cute smile.

**  
**Nodoka could barely suppress her laughter. Those two were just too cute, it was too bad that she'd not to be there once those two realised their feelings for each other. That would surely be a Kodak-moment. "You two," she said to Ranma and Kasumi, "now that you have your new ID-cards you should start to refer to each other with the appropriate gender-suffix when you are in your alternate forms. The easier it will be later when you lock yourself in your alternate forms. Ne, Ránmā, Kasumi-otoko?"

**  
**Said Ranma looked chagrined at first, but then nodded. As did Kasumi-otoko. "Yes, mom." "Yes, Auntie."

**  
**Nodoka looked satisfied. "I am sure you two will manage. After all, you will have to refer to each other correctly while in public, according to your gender. This will make it easier."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. "You are right, Auntie. But you're right with your assessment of the situation too, Ranma. We'll both need enough boxers and a set of Chinese clothing for each of us. As I know now, the change can occur anywhere and anytime. But it won't be easy." he sighed.

**  
**Ranma nodded back and softly stroked Kasumi-otokos back. "I know. It ain't easy for me too. But we'll manage. Together." she said with an encouraging smile.

**  
**The answering smile from Kasumi-otoko was thankful. "Thank you, Ranma. We will. Come, let's pack."

**  
**And that they did. Ten minutes later Ranma Saotome and Kasumi Tendo where ready to leave. They had decided that they would start out in their birth forms, and both were wearing identical Chinese outfits plus boxers. Meanwhile Ranma had also found out how Kasumi had changed back. They had utilised a modern water-heater which had been usable after the stove had been taken from the net.

**  
**As they stood in the living room with their backpacks Kasumi and Ranma really looked like a couple ready to undertake a trip, Nodoka and Nabiki noted. And maybe they would become just that, and a couple in love at that.

**  
**It is to be noted that Ranma's pack was twice as big as Kasumi's. It included two tents, sleeping bags for two persons, several complete changes of outdoor clothing with extra underwear (boxers) and two pairs of hiking shoes and two coats.

**  
**Nodoka embraced her child, and she had to fight back the tears that threatened to escape her. It was very hard to let her child go, but she knew it was for the best. That did however not mean that it hurt any less. "Take care, my child. And know that I am proud of you. I know that you can master this challenge. Show Kasumi, or should I say Yoshiro, how to be a man and be the very best woman you can. But most of all, enjoy yourself and have fun, my child. Kami-sama knows you deserve it."

**  
**Ranma nodded, hugging his mother back. He would give his all, so much was for sure. After all, Ranma Saotome did not lose! At the same time he had to suppress his feelings too, for he had to leave what he had begun to call home for the first time in long for a longer period of time. Which was not easy at all. "Will do, mom. And beat on the panda for me, will ya?" he asked with a smile, whereupon Nodoka nodded, smiling back at her son.

**  
**At the same time Nabiki was hugging Kasumi. "Sis, take good care of you. Though I know you're in good hands." Ranma blushed at the implicit compliment, "And don't worry about us. We'll manage. You learn how to live with your curse, and only come back when you're finished, okay?"

**  
**Kasumi nodded. Nabiki then turned to Ranma. "Saotome," she began and reached for her wallet, "consider this as your share from the profit I made with your pictures. I know that you knew of them, and I want to thank you. You helped me to keep the Dojo afloat, but I have to admit that I made more than enough money to do so. Consider this as the payment of my debt to you." she said and handed Ranma a bundle of Yen.

**  
**The cursed martial artist marvelled at the sight of so much money, while Kasumi wore a proud smile on her face. Maybe Nabiki had really come to realise that money was not everything in life. "Nabiki, how much is this?" Ranma asked.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter smirked. "More than you ever held in your hands until now, Saotome. 300,000¹ Yen, to be exact. Take it before I think twice. But it _is_ your share. And I have a hunch that you'll need it, what with the shopping you two will have to do once you've arrived where you want to go to."

**  
**Ranma took the money and pocketed it, and suddenly Nabiki felt herself being embraced in another hug, this time by the male Ranma. "Thanks again, Nabiki." he said and held the hug for some seconds.

**  
**Kasumi marvelled that Ranma was able to express himself much more freely, although she felt a slight pang of jealousy as she saw Ranma holding Nabiki. Apparently the dissolving of the engagement to Akane in addition to everything else that had happened had made Ranma much more relaxed.

**  
**Not for the first time Nabiki wondered what would have happened had she pursued the engagement with more earnest. There and then she had believed that Akane had really loved Ranma, and maybe Akane still did, but Akane was too unstable and immature for an adult relationship. First she had to be convinced that her image of boys was wrong.

**  
**But alas, her own chance at Ranma was gone. Now she could only hope that her sister would hit it off. But gauging from what the middle Tendo had seen, the chances were not bad at all. In fact, she would give it decidedly good quotes. Thus she only smiled and answered "You're welcome, kiddo. But if you ever decide to take up a job as a professional model, I'd be glad to be your agent." she said only half in jest.

**  
**Ranma released the hug and nodded with a lop-sided grin that told her how unlikely that was. Kasumi and Ranma then went towards the door, and looked back one final time. "Don't let the old men trample all over you. We'll be back as soon as possible, but you all have brought home the point that we'll take as long as we need."

**  
**Nabiki smirked. "They'll be as tame as kitten in our presence." she said and ignored the flinch Ranma gave at the k-word. "If not, we'll make them. And don't worry about Kuonji, I will deal with her on Monday when school starts and keep her off your track. The least you need is another distraction, Saotome."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Thanks, I appreciate it, Nabiki." he said with a smile. Then he looked at Kasumi. "Okay, Kas-chan, lets go." he said and opened the door which would lead them into an uncertain future.

**  
**The oldest Tendo daughter nodded, but one could see that her eyes were glistening with tears. Obviously it was difficult for her to leave her home for the first time, and for a longer period of time to boot.

**  
**Ranma, quite unlike his usual self, sensed this and laid a comforting arm around her shoulders. "We'll come back, Kasumi. And I bet you'll enjoy your stay at Tenchi's. He's a fine pal, and his grandfather is really great! Believe me, you'll love it!"

**  
**Kasumi managed a smile and firmed her resolve. It was time that she did something for herself. And it was an added benefit that she'd be able to spend all of this time near Ranma. More than an added benefit, if she was honest to herself; it was all she had wished for in the past months, even if it was now coming true differently than she had envisioned. But thus was life, and she'd make the best of it.

**  
**Finally she nodded towards Ranma who took this as a sign to hit the road. With a last wave towards Nabiki and Nodoka they exited the house. "Itte kima-su haya.²" Ranma said, and off they were.

**  
**¹ Keep in mind, this is 'only' about 3000 dollar; quite a probable sum for a share for Ranma, in my opinion(source: h t t p // w w w . xe . com / ucc /)**  
²** We're off now

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	11. A loon who went too far

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 11: A loon who went too far**

**  
**The fastest way to get to the Nekohanten was over the rooftops. It was also the best way to ensure that none of them would get splashed before their journey had even started.

**  
**Ranma voiced his thoughts. "I know you mightn't like it, Kas-chan, but the fastest way to get to Cologne would be..." and he pointed up towards the rooftops.

**  
**"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed, once more pleasantly blushing at the pet name. Only good that Ranma could not see it in the dark, as they were shrouded in darkness by the shadows of the buildings around them. And luckily the full moon did not manage to illuminate the street they were standing in. Aside from the blush Kasumi´s heart was soaring at the prospect of being held in his strong arms while they would bound over the rooftops.

**  
**That it would probably be the most thrilling experience in her life up till now and that she would also be as safe in those arms as in a nuclear bunker surely had nothing to do with her accelerated heart-rate, no, absolutely not. "I will try it, Ranma-kun. I know I can trust you." she said, hiding her excitement in face of her introduction to roofhopping.

**  
**Her confident answer brought a pleased expression to Ranmas face, and Kasumi knew why. Her youngest sister had _never_ trusted Ranma, and he had even killed a god for her. He had actually _killed_ to save her, and which greater proof of trustworthiness could a human offer but that he was willing to kill for his loved ones in order to save them? And especially for someone as moral as Ranma this could only be seen as the greatest reason to trust him. Inwardly she could only shake her head at Akane's stupidity.

**  
**She remembered especially the one time when Akane had yelled "I'll never ever trust you! Perverts can not be trusted!" right into his face as a very vivid example.That had been a few weeks after the failed wedding, and the hurt look on his face had been enough to send Kasumi crying for hours. Kasumi knew that Akane had practically shattered his heart there and then, and she admired that Ranma had tried to fix things between them despite the deep wound in his heart and his own trust in Akane. The oldest Tendo sibling did not know if her sister had done it voluntarily or if she had only been indifferent towards Ranma's thoughts and feelings and had thought that Ranma would always be hers regardless of how much abuse she put him through.

**  
**Or maybe her little sister had just been too insensitive to recognise how much her actions, but especially her words, had hurt Ranma. Or the handsome martial artist had been nothing more than a possession for her that she had fought over with the other girls. Maybe Ranma had been nothing else but a trophy to be won by them. This was a thought that made her sick. No human being should be treated as a possession or a trophy. Period.

**  
**But all that did not matter any more. Despite all her attempts to help her younger sister, Akane had blown it royally and forever. Now _she_, Kasumi Tendo, would ensure that Ranma would find the happiness he so deserved. And she dearly hoped that he would find it with her.

**  
**Now Kasumi did not feel remorse any more on acting on her feelings towards Ranma and had already begun to. She had done everything she could to give Akane and Ranma a chance together, but it had obviously not been meant to be. Add to it that Akane had never appreciated what a fine catch she had had in Ranma. But _she_, Kasumi, knew, and she dearly hoped that they'd end up together. At the moment she was carefully optimistic due to the changes their relationship had undergone and was still undergoing, but as she never had had a real relationship in her life she was careful.

**  
**She was brought out of her musings when she noticed that Ranma had said something, and then he swept her softly into his arms with a smile. A super-human jump up to the rooftop of the adjacent house later and the run began. As he ran and hopped from rooftop to rooftop, he could not help but notice how Kasumi relaxed in his arms after the initial bout of excitement.

**  
**And he smiled. He now knew that she _really_ trusted him, and it filled a void in his heart that he hadn't known had existed before. When Kasumi snuggled up to him he nearly felt his heart stop, but a second later he was relaxed and concentrated again. The feeling of her body snuggled up to him did not made him feel uncomfortable at all, because it felt so good, so right.

**  
**It had never been this way with Akane. Sure, his heart had always skipped a beat when she had smiled her cute smile at him, but that had been on so few occasions lately that he had almost forgotten what it looked like. And at even the hint of physical affection or contact Akane would have (and had) clobbered him into next week, in contrast to Kasumi who had apparently enjoyed their hugs, and that in both forms; something that would have been impossible with the perversity-fixated Akane. And Kasumi smiled often, and the smiles that she directed at him lately made him melt.

**  
**Kasumi had also never, never ever hit him for petty reasons like Akane had. Not that he remembered that Kasumi ever _had_ hit him. Nor did she seem to think of him as a pervert. And she was kind, attractive, cute, selfless, intelligent, helpful, lovely... there were so many adjectives that described her. And how she smelled! Heavenly! **'Whoa, first what happened between us in the kitchen, and now this. Man, seems I got it bad. But with someone like Kasumi, that ain't bad...'**

**  
**Ranma was shaken out of these nice thoughts rather violently by something he had hoped he wouldn't have to hear until he had returned to Nerima. And to be honest, even then he would have been glad to never hear it again. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed her approach, and he redirected his jump just in time to avoid a collision. That she endangered Kasumi, an innocent person who had nearly no martial arts skill made his blood boil.

**  
**Nearly snarling at Kodachi he let Kasumi get to the ground; once the oldest Tendo stood on her own feet again she exclaimed an "Oh my!" at the demented expression on Kodachi's face. Kasumi knew (like the rest of the ward) that Kodachi had had increasingly severe mental problems ever since she and her brother had witnessed how their mother got killed by a gang when they were very young, but her current mental state could only be described as frighteningly insane. A quick glance at Ranma told her that he was even more surprised at the mental state Kodachi was in.

**  
**And truly, Ranma had never seen Kodachi so unhinged. It seemed as if she had suddenly decided that she wanted to win 'her' Ranma-sama at all costs now after the period of relative quiet lately. And Ranma was unsure how to handle this ready for anything Kodachi, for despite everything, he had still reservations to hurt her. All that he knew for sure was that he was angry at Kodachi for endangering Kasumi.

**  
**"OHOHOHOHOHOHO!" the target of Ranma's ire exclaimed. But Kodachi Kuno, who was now standing on the rooftop next to the one they were standing on, didn't notice his glare. She was obviously and as always too far gone in her own little dream-world to perceive anything correctly.

**  
**But apparently she was not so far gone that she hadn't noticed the woman who had been in the arms of her´ Ranma-sama. "You!" she exclaimed and pointed an accusing finger at Kasumi, "What were you peasant girl doing in the strong arms of my Ranma-sama? It is only _my_ privilege to be in this position! For this insolence you will be punished!" she screamed and launched herself from the rooftop.

**  
**In mid-jump her ribbon lashed out, and Ranma was momentarily too shocked that Kodachi would dare to attack his sweet and innocent Kasumi. In his mind nobody would ever even think to attack Kasumi, thus he was vastly unprepared to defend her.

**  
**His surprise cost him valuable seconds, and thus he was far too late to catch the ribbon or to deflect it. Kodachis' sharp ribbon managed to connect and inflicted a deep cut in Kasumis' face, who yelped in pain. Startled and disbelieving Ranma looked at the woman he liked very much and whom he had sworn to protect, and his ire at Kodachi for first endangering Kasumi and now for attacking and hurting her grew into a cold rage. Any pity Ranma felt for her because of her desolate state was blown out of the window.And the look on his face as well as the low growl that escaped his throat served to make Kodachi stagger back in surprise, her eyes wide.

**  
**Ranma slipped into the Soul of Ice to control his raging emotions and reached into his pocket. He produced a clean blowrag and pressed it tenderly onto the wound to stop the bloodflow, while Kodachi watched, a look of confusion edged on her face. "Kas-chan, press this on the wound, okay?" he said, and his Kas-chan nodded bravely. With concern deeply edged on his face he asked her "Are you strong enough to sit on this mantelpiece over there?" while he seemed to ignore Kodachi, who watched the display in growing confusion.

**  
**Why was her Ranma-sama caring for this servant girl? It made no sense to her! But Ranma did not ignore Kodachi as he treated Kasumi, far from it. In truth Ranma had the confused Kodachi under constant surveillance, and now he was ready for everything she could dish out.Said insane martial arts gymnast was currently busy making sense of the situation, and she was currently in the process of deciding on a course of action. It was well known that her Ranma-sama was the kindest and most caring person ever, but what she saw in his eyes was more than just care. Her crazy mind saw only one solution: she had to place herself in the position of the serving girl; she had to replace her, and that would only work by removing her from the equation. Permanently.

**  
**Meanwhile Kasumi nodded, and Ranma took the Tendo girl by the hand. Kasumi let herself be led to the mantelpiece where she sat down, still a bit white-faced from the unexpected attack. Satisfied that Kasumi was seated and had the opportunity to overcome the shock he cracked his knuckles. Now he really had had enough of Kodachi. He had tolerated her in the past because he had felt something akin to pity for the fate she had suffered, but now she had _really _ gone too far. Nobody endangered and hurt his loved ones, and Kodachi would learn this lesson. Painfully if necessary.

**  
**The raven-haired teen surveyed his opponent with a cold glare. If she'd attack him like she usually did she'd be in for a big surprise this time. A surprise for which Kodachi would have to thank Kasumi and their talks. Kas-chan had driven home the point that there was nothing wrong with defending himself from an attack executed by a female.

**  
**And her arguments had been pretty darn convincing. For one, his father had only taught him the 'don't-hit-girls-routine' because in Genmas opinion, girls were weak and did not _deserve_ to be fought like a male opponent. Kasumi had not needed much time to prove this particular teaching of Genma as completely wrong, and Ranma had relented when Kasumi had argued that she, Ranma, was anything but weak as a female.

**  
**And what about the other females, like her mother, or Akane, Ukyo, Shampoo and even Kodachi? They weren't weak either, nor were girls in general, so that Genma's position was pretty much shot. Ranma had nearly collapsed in helpless laughter when Kasumi has asked "And how do you think the panda would fare against Elder Cologne?". The mental image of his baka father getting the snot beaten out of him at the hands of Cologne had just been too funny. Maybe something like that could be arranged, and Ranma would love to watch the display as a female and taunt him but good.

**  
**But the killing blow to his conviction had been Kasumis argument that if one wanted to defeat Ranma, they had only to utilise his general refusal to hit females against him and sic a horde of female martial artists with sufficient skill on him. Sure, he was worldclass and nearly unequalled in power and skill, but due to the fact that he'd only dodge and not retaliate in kind he'd sooner or later be weakened enough to be defeated. And as running away from a fight like Genma would if it looked bleak (Saotome final technique: run away!) was not Ranmas style, he _would _lose or probably worse.

**  
**To his immense chagrin Ranma had not had a counter to this, and finally his conviction to not hit females regardless the circumstances had crumbled. Silently he thanked Kasumi for this talk. He still would _never_ land the first blow or retaliate needlessly, but he would defend himself and end the fight, which also included hitting a female opponent. And Kodachi would be the first to get involved with this new and improved Ranma Saotome.

**  
**Ranma switched into a defensive stance and awaited the first move of Kodachi. And he was now more than ready to retaliate in kind. Apparently his anger had penetrated even her delusional perception, but as this view of her Ranma-sama did not fit into her perfect little dream-world she shook it off. Her Ranma-sama loved her, and she only had to dispose of this stupid peasant woman. Surely her Ranma-sama would thank her that she had freed him of this stupid Tendo girl. Then they would be united in love forever more!

**  
**With a bout of maniacal laughter she attacked, but not Ranma was her target. Once more her ribbon lashed out from her right hand with Kasumi as its target, and additionally she threw one of her spiked clubs aimed for Kasumis' head. Ranma steamed at her murderous actions and blurred from sight. He reappeared seconds later in front of Kasumi and caught the ribbon with one hand while he used the other to fire what he had dubbed the 'Panda flambé' and incinerated the spiked club in midair.

**  
**Then he turned a pair of blazing eyes on Kodachi, and the look in them was obviously enough to shake the insane gymnast down to the core. "I have finally had enough of ya, ya crazy nut case! I have tolerated yer actions in the past, but now yer've gone and attacked someone I like very much! And with the intent ta maim and kill ta boot! Are ya totally freakin' crazy, ya loon?" he yelled at her heatedly.

**  
**Kodachi had involuntarily stepped back. Her Ranma-sama was _yelling_ at her! But why? She had only wanted to rid herself and him of an obstacle which prevented their perfect love. What was wrong with that? "But my Ranma-sama, why are you saying such things? I love you, and I would do everything for you! Including the removal of this peasant girl so that we can be together!"

**  
**Ranma steamed, and his control on the soul of ice slipped. And it showed in a fiery aura that engulfed him, which also illuminated the night. Flames seemed to dance over the body of Ranma, and fire glowed in his eyes. "I will repeat this once, and only once: I have _never_ loved you nor _will_ I ever love you! You are as crazy as a whole loony bin put together, and you are a danger to those around you! Heck, you tried to kill Kas-chan! Either you get lost now to never return, or I'll have to get angry! I don't wanna see ya ever again, got it?"

**  
**Even in face of a fiery glowing and very pissed Ranma Kodachi stood her ground. It can be argued that she's just too insane to feel fear, but anyway, she was far from giving up on her Ranma-sama. "I see the vile brown-haired harridan has bewitched you with a spell. Well, peasant girl, that leaves me no other choice but to kill you to free my Ranma-sama from your vile clutches. Now die!" she screamed and threw another ribbon at Kasumi.

**  
**This one was however vastly different from her standard ribbons, as it could be charged with electricity, which made it into a very dangerous and downright lethal weapon. And Kodachi _had_ set it to a deadly discharge. Ranma, who had stood several feet away from where Kasumi was sitting blurred once more, and seconds later Kasumi and Ranma had disappeared from the rooftop.

**  
**Kodachi fumed that her attack had failed, and she searched the night angrily. Her job was made somewhat easier by the full moon which illuminated the night, but even with the aid of the stellar body she was unsuccessful. Her Ranma-sama was gone. And indeed, Ranma had used his vastly improved speed to put some distance between them and Kodachi.

**  
**The Kuno girl was even crazier and more dangerous than usual, and he had underestimated her instability. His anger at himself for failing Kas-chan was suppressed for now, as he had to concentrate on getting Kasumi to safety. He 'd never risk Kasumis' life in the upcoming fight. One mile away from Kodachi he sat Kasumi softly on yet another (but probably safer) mantelpiece and smiled at her. "I'll soon be back, Kas-chan. But I can't let her run around unchecked, she's clearly gone over the edge. I gotta stop her."

**  
**The Tendo girl nodded and smiled back despite the pain in her cheek. "Just be careful, Ra-kun. I'll manage." she said.

**  
**Ranma blushed pleasantly at the pet name she had used for him, and then he nodded. With a wave at Kasumi and a smile he bound away, and instantly switched into battle-mode. He extended his ki- and aura-senses to lock in on Kodachi, and seconds later he had found her power-level. With some effort he switched into the soul of ice once more to calm his raging emotions; it would not do if he gave them free reign, for else he feared that he'd burn down something.

**  
**But how dare this crazy chick attack his Kas-chan! He'd always pitied Kodachi ever since he had learned of her grievous past, but that was no reason to run around and maim people! And had he not been as fast as he was Kodachi would have killed his Kas-chan! No, she had to be put out of commission, and the best course of action was to capture her and hand her to the authorities; which would hopefully commit her to an asylum where she could receive help.

**  
**Though first he got to catch her, which would be something in an on itself. Sure, he was several times stronger and much more powerful than Kodachi, but her insanity made the lunatic gymnast unpredictable and a danger to her surroundings. Ranma still did not understand how a lunatic like Kodachi had been allowed to run around unchecked like she had in the past.

**  
**Considering what she had done in the past it was more than surprising. Possession and use of illegal drugs and potions, toxic gasses and so on. The list of delicts was probably longer than his arm. But obviously the money and influence of her father, their loony principal, was enough to keep her from being committed. The pigtailed youth could only shake his head at the thought that the money and influence of the Kunos was enough to keep an entire ward in check. But right here and now he would do something to keep the woman he liked very much safe.

**  
**Ah, there she was, and she was apparently looking for him. Good, that she was distracted by searching for him without a pinpoint at his location could be used to his advantage. Smirking because of the spontaneous idea that had hit him he switched into the Umi-senken and became practically invisible. Instantly he put his stealth to full use and covered the distance which separated him from Kodachi in seconds without her noticing his approach. A heartbeat later she was relieved of the backpack she was wearing, and a surprised Kodachi whirled around.

**  
**She looked around frantically, but saw nothing at all. Meanwhile Ranma had strapped the backpack onto his own back, as it wouldn't be a hindrance at all. And depositing it somewhere was far too dangerous because of the probable contents. Ranma watched with amusement as Kodachi still continued to scan the night for the mysterious person that had stolen her backpack, and decided to have a bit of fun. Playing with the mind of Tatewaki had been fun, so why not play with Kodachis too before he'd catch her?

**  
**Cloaked by the Umi-senken he jumped onto the chimney. It would be _real_ fun to play with her mind and scare her before he would reappear and catch her. But scare first, catch later. After what she had done to Kasumi she deserved a good scare and a lesson in fear, and psychological punishment in addition to potential physical punishment (should it be necessary) often worked better than just physical punishment alone. Kodachi had always liked to scare others with her behaviour, but now it was her turn to be the scared one.

**  
**With a smirk he prepared himself mentally and disguised his voice. "LITTLE GIRL, ARE YOU LOST?" he asked in a booming and semi-demonic voice which he had enhanced with his ki, like he had heard it on TV some time ago.

**  
**As predicted Kodachi whirled around, but couldn't see anyone. That the crazed martial arts gymnast was surprised and somewhat scared was obvious on her face. "Who… who is there? Show yourself, peasant!" she asked, trying to sound brave and commanding.

**  
**Ranma only laughed in an eerie imitation of demonic laughter. "YOU ASK WHO I AM, LITTLE GIRL? THAT… IS A SECRET!"

**  
**Kodachi lost her nerve and threw one of her gas-balls she was carrying on her belt at the suspected source of the laughter. Before it had any chance to hit him he had long bound away and landed behind Kodachi. "BOO!" he whispered into her ear, and this time Kodachi was _really_ afraid.

**  
**She yelped and actually jumped onto the next rooftop to bring some distance between herself and the mysterious presence. If only her Ranma-sama was here, he would be able to help her against this vile nuisance! Her Ranma-sama was strong, and he'd safe her, she was sure.

**  
**Said Ranma decided that he'd had enough fun, and now it was time that the kids gloves came off. He'd scared her sufficiently, now he'd finish it. Mentally he congratulated himself to the plan he'd made up just now on the spot. Kodachi was now really scared and obviously believed that there was someone or something out to get her, if her stance with her club out and at the ready was any indication.

**  
**Now, if he appeared before her with some delay she'd surely want him to protect her. And if he'd refuse that in all clarity and deflect the attack which was sure to follow he could have a chance to make it absolutely clear that he held no love for her and never would. Maybe she'd finally get a hint, and if not he'd just drag her to the police and file charges. No one attacked Kas-chan and went unpunished!

**  
**Still cloaked he jumped over the rooftops to bring some distance between himself and Kodachi. After all, he needed enough of a start-up to make it believable. Then he dropped the Umi-senken and approached Kodachi, who was still standing on the rooftop adjacent to the one where the 'presence' had scared her. Ranma allowed his new powers to come out somewhat and formed a fiery aura with it so that the crazy girl would notice him.

**  
**And notice him she did, and her expression changed from fear to relief. "My Ranma-sama!" she exclaimed as he landed some feet away from her, "You have come to save me!"

**  
**Ranma displayed his most angry expression and scowled as he landed a few feet away from her. "What are you babbling about, you crazy chick? I have come to take you to the police for what you have done! How dare you attack my Kas-chan like that!" he growled out in an eerie imitation of Ryoga.

**  
**Kodachi was taken aback by his vehemence, but caught herself fast with the help of her delusions. After all, her Ranma-sama _could_ not be angry at her, he loved her! "My Ranma-sama, there is someone here, and he's out to get me! You must save me, Ranma-sama!" she exclaimed and managed to look like the poster-girl of a damsel in distress.

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist deepened his scowl. "Are you even crazier than usual? Here is no one aside from you and me! If there was, I would have sensed them. And it was very dangerous to leave your backpack lying around on one of the rooftops. Especially a backpack full of such dangerous stuff! And how can you dare to ask me to help you after what you have done! Get it through your thick skull: I DON'T LOVE YOU! And I never will, you loon. Especially not if you try to kill those I like! Now, will you come with me peaceably or do I have to use force?"

**  
**Said loon understood it completely wrong, or to word it appropriately, the Kodachi-logic-system perceived what Ranma had said as it wanted to perceive it. Ranma wanted her to come with him, and he wanted to use force! Yummy! That he had her backpack was completely ignored. "Of course, my Ranma-sama! I am all yours! I'll call us the limousine which will bring us to my mansion! Oh the joy! My Ranma-sama wants me!" she exclaimed with a manic giggle.

**  
**Ranma shook his head in distaste. "Are you outta your freakin' mind? O-oookay, stupid question. Listen, I want nothing from you and I don't want you. All I feel in face of your behaviour is deep revulsion. Understand? I DON'T WANT YOU AND I DON'T LOVE YOU! And I _never will_! Understood?" he finished angrily.

**  
**For a moment it seemed as if Ranma's vehemence and choice of words had finally penetrated the thick barrier Kodachi had erected between herself and reality, but only for a moment. Then the gymnast shook her head sadly. "I see I will have to take you into my tender-loving care to cure you of the influence of the brown-haired harridan. But fear not, my Ranma-sama, I will break whatever hold she has over you! Remember, I do this for you!" she exclaimed and threw a gas-ball at Ranma.

**  
**The Saotome youth had been prepared for anything and jumped up high into the air from where he somersaulted and landed with a flip in midair behind Kodachi. A second later the crazed girl was relieved of her waist-belt which contained the balls filled with paralysis and knock-out gas. Using his chestnut-fist-speed Ranma deposited the waist-belt into the backpack. "Okay, ya nut case, that's enuff! Surrender or ya won't like the consequences!"

**  
**Kodachi only laughed in answer. "OHOHOHOHOHOHO! How delicious! _You_ would never hurt me, my Ranma-sama. But I'm afraid that _I_ will be forced to subdue you so that I can help you. Don't worry, it won't hurt much." she said and attacked with her clubs.

**  
**From their fights in the past Ranma knew that these clubs were equipped with razor-sharp spikes which could be extended at the push of a button. Currently they _were_ extended, and the spikes were most likely tipped with a poison that would probably induce unconsciousness. Using his speed Ranma dove under the attacks, used his right hand to support himself on the ground and went for a leg-sweep.

**  
**The insane gymnast seemed to have sensed it and jumped over Ranma's incoming legs, but Ranma was already in motion again and managed to snatch away the club she held in her left hand. The Saotome youth then jumped backwards and retracted the spikes into the club. Then he broke the handle over his knee and threw the destroyed club into a far-away corner of the roof.

**  
**However, Kodachi had still one club left and probably several in reserve. And despite her being insane she was still very intelligent. She surveyed her opponent, the man she wanted to 'save', with a calculating look, and her face showed wariness. "It seems as if the hold of the peasant girls spell on you is quite strong, my Ranma-sama. But don't worry, I'll break it." she exclaimed with a smile.

**  
**Her smile would have been cute had it not been smiled by an insane person, and thus it only served to cause Ranma severe distaste. Instantly Kodachi jumped forward and brought down the club, or at least she tried to do so, for her target was already gone. Ranma had executed a backflip and had thus jumped off of the three-story building. It was much easier to fight in the streets than on the rooftops, for down here he had no reason to be as careful as up there. Not that he was concerned for his own safety, but true to himself he was concerned for Kodachis' safety, even though she'd hurt Kasumi.

**  
**He landed smoothly on his feet and waited for Kodachi to follow him. Standing in the street Ranma thanked the Kami that it had not rained throughout the whole day. Which might have been a mistake, considering how mischievous the Kami can be. For seconds later a sudden downpour occurred, which naturally changed Ranma into a female. The change itself didn't bother Ranma, but once Kodachi saw her in female form she would probably react... badly.

**  
**And when Kodachi _had_ landed in the street she _was_ instantly incensed at the sight of the 'red-haired harridan' at a place where she suspected her Ranma-sama to be. "You!" she spat, "What have you done to my Ranma-sama? I know he was here just seconds ago! I saw him land in this street! What have you done to him?"

**  
**Ranma was hard pressed not to sigh at the stupidity of the Kunos in face of the curse. How could one have such a giant blind spot? "Nothing, you idiot! If you haven't comprehended it until now, there's apparently no hope for you. But for your sake I'll repeat it one more time: I _AM_ RANMA! And I am sure as hell not _your_ Ranma-sama! I am under a curse that changes me into a girl when I am hit by cold water! And look up, what do you see? Rain! And its even cold rain. So put two and two together!" she exclaimed angrily and at the end of her patience with the Kuno girl.

**  
**Kodachi, true to self, put two and two together and got five as a result. "You vile harridan! You have hidden my Ranma-sama so that you can have him to yourself! But that was the last time! Die!" she screamed and attacked with her spiked club raised.

**  
**The redhead shrugged. It would have been a true miracle if Kodachi had grasped the concept of the curse now, as she had had so many chances before. But now Ranma was really fed up. She wanted to get away from this town exactly for reasons like these, and here she was, in a fight. Time to end this and to get back to her Kas-chan.

**  
**Ranma evaded the (in her opinion) clumsy attack, kicked the club out of Kodachis hand with a lightning fast kick and rushed forward. Then she executed a punch-kick-roundhouse-kick-punch-combo, and Kodachi was not able to block the last punch. The pigtailed girl had put quite some strength behind her attacks, and the crazed gymnast impacted against a wall with enough force to drive the air out of her lungs.

**  
**Panting but not ready to give up Kodachi came to her feet. She had still some tricks up her sleeve, and she was willing to use them! Moments later a chakram was flying through the air (yes, Kodachi had watched Xena, Warrior Princess), but Kodachi got the surprise of her life when Ranma simply plucked it out of the air. Due to her speed and reflexes this had been no feat for her, and as she was pretty much convinced that the weapon was not poisoned (after all, Kodachi had to throw the thing without poisoning herself) she had deemed it unperilous for her.

**  
**Grinning Ranma attached the chakram to her own waistbelt, and suddenly she rushed forward. It seemed as if she was not touching the ground at all, and Kodachis' eyes widened in surprise at the speed of her opponent. The redhead rammed her right fist into the abdomen of the crazy girl, and gave her no time to recover. Subsequently she drove her knee into Kodachis ribs. The insane gymnast grunted in pain, but was not out of it yet. After all, she'd never lose to a simple and insolent commoner! Those creatures had to know their places, and the Black Rose would show them!

**  
**Kodachi had fallen back slightly after she had gathered her bearings and suddenly performed a roundhouse-kick which was aimed for Ranmas head. The kick however met only thin air as the redhead had fazed out of sight. Moments later she appeared behind Kodachi, and before the crazy girl could react a strong chop to the back of her head drove the Kuno girl face-first into the ground. But Kodachi was either too stupid or too far gone to notice when she couldn't win a fight. Snarling she got to her feet, and Ranma wondered where the girl got her energy from. Supposedly from her madness, she mused. Well, time for the big guns, then. It was already taking too long for her taste.

**  
**While Ranma prepared to knock the Kuno girl out for good Kodachi had had enough time to recover somewhat. And despite all the hits she had received Kodachi still found enough strength to attack first, but Ranma had her guard up and stopped the sloppy punch to her face. She simply caught the incoming fist and threw Kodachi over her shoulder with no apparent effort. Then she turned around like lightning and followed the throw with a quick kick across the face.

**  
**The insane girl grunted as she flew back from the throw, and this time Kodachi knew deep down that she was no match for the red-haired harridan. She had as recently as come to this conclusion and wanted to resort to her dirty tricks, when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in the jaw. Obviously the harlot had used her foul magic to attack her faster than she had been able to see! Then she felt a hard impact, and then… nothingness.

**  
**Ranma watched with something akin to pity as Kodachi impacted hard against yet another wall. The insane girl had left quite an impression in the stone and was now lying in a heap on the ground. Ranma knew what had made the girl into what she was now, but she had had to stop her. No one attacked the people she loved, and especially not her Kas-chan! With a sigh she walked towards Kodachi, and from her aura the pigtailed girl knew that her opponent was out cold but otherwise mostly okay. She then got down to one knee and examined the backpack she was wearing for material to tie Kodachi up with.

**  
**After all, it would not do if her cargo struggled while she was bounding over the rooftops. Rummaging through the backpack she found two pairs of ribbons, which were just perfect. A minute later Kodachi was tied up like a Christmas present and ready for transport. Ranma slung the unconscious girl over her shoulder and jumped up onto the next rooftop.

**  
**Then she locked in onto Kasumi's aura, which was now slightly different due to the gender-change, but still very much Kasumi. Inwardly she smiled at the thought of spending the next three or four months in the company of the other curse victim. And that all alone, without all the others! She had grown to like Kasumi very much, and if she had to be honest to herself she had to admit that she really more than liked Kasumi. How much more, only time would tell.

**  
**Two minutes later Ranma landed on the rooftop where Kasumi-otoko was waiting. He was still sitting on the mantelpiece, as the shower had been very brief. The blowrag was still pressed onto his cheek, but it did not look as if he was in pain. Which was always a good thing. "Hey Ka-kun, I'm back! And look what I brought with me!" she said with a smirk.

**  
**Kasumi was obviously very relieved that Ranma was okay, and he surveyed the tied-up Kodachi with distaste. He knew what had happened to Kodachi in her childhood, but that was neither reason nor justification to run around and threaten and maim people. "Good to see that you're okay. But I'd say you won't be able to carry both me and Kodachi, as that would screw your balance too much. However, we should get her to the police. She deserves to be arrested for what she did." he said.

**  
**Ranma nodded her head empathically. She was somewhat disgruntled at what Kasumi had said, but he was right. Her balance _would_ be screwed. Thus, another solution had to be found. And after some thinking she found it. "Wait a sec… Kodachi said that she wanted to call the limousine. That means she has to have her mobile with her. Let's only hope that I didn't trash it during the fight…" she muttered and went to examine Kodachi.

**  
**After some rummaging through her pockets which did not bother her too much she finally found the mobile. And to their luck it was still intact. Ranma grinned like a maniac as she dialled and called the police. "Yes… police, this is Ránmā Saotome." she said, remembering that she should use the ID she had received earlier. "We, that is a friend and I, have been attacked by a girl. We managed to render her unconscious, but we wish to file charges for assault. Yes… could you come to the Takamera street? Yes… thank you very much!"

**  
**After she had ended the call she turned to Kasumi. "Everything went perfectly. They're on their way and should arrive in less than three minutes. They said the police station isn't far away from here." Ranma said with a smile. "How about I get us down?" she asked.

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded. "Fine with me."

**  
**Ranma then swept Kasumi-otoko in her arms and jumped down. Once more she landed swiftly and let Kasumi down to the ground. Then she smiled. "Be right back!" she exclaimed and jumped upwards once more.

**  
**Thirty seconds later she was back with Kodachi in her arms. The unconscious girl was leant against a house wall while Ranma and Kasumi-otoko waited for the police. "Wheew, finally some time to rest." she said with a smile.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko mirrored the smile while Ranma dropped the still unconscious Kodachi onto the ground. And the way it looked the girl would remain unconscious for quite some time still. "Yes, I know what you mean. And it really relieves me that you are okay, Ranma. I was worried."he said with a smile that somehow made Ranmas insides melt.

**  
**In former times Ranma would have answered with some macho-comment, but talking with Kasumi on a regular basis had shown her that the macho-façade was not needed around the oldest Tendo. Thus she only smiled. "Thanks for worrying, Ka-kun. But everything's okay. The fight was a bit rough, but only on her. And I can't believe that she still hasn't understood the curse! How can one be so… delusional?"

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded sadly. "It is sad to see what has become of her. I still remember her as a little girl, and she was so carefree and happy back then. But that all changed when he mother got killed, and she never received the help she would have needed. Hopefully her father won't be able to interfere with the authorities this time. She needs help, and she needs it badly."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "You're right. But I had to stop her. There was no other way."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko stepped forward and hugged Ranma to him. "I know, Ranma. You had to do what was right. Kodachi can't run around unchecked, as she's far too dangerous. Had you not been there she might have killed me. Thank you for saving me." he said with a smile.

**  
**The redhead blushed. "Aww, it was nothing. I mean, I did it gladly. But I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to stop her from hurting you. It's all my fault!" she said with obvious anger at herself.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko just smiled and embraced her closer. "No, it was not. It _is_ a martial artists duty to protect the weak, but how should you have known that she would attack me? There was _no_ way you could have, Ranma. Even you, as strong and fast as you are, you are only human. And if someone is at fault, then Kodachi. She knew exactly what she was doing when she attacked, and she hazarded the consequences of eventually killing me. You saved me from that fate, and I can't thank you enough." he said and gave her a peck on the cheek.

**  
**Ranma blushed and finally relented. Kasumi was right. It was Kodachis' fault in the first place, and she had saved Kasumi after all. More awkward moments and self-admonishment were prevented when the police finally arrived. Surprisingly they had done the sensible thing and had not announced their presence via their police patrol lights and the blaring horn. Two officers exited the vehicle and noted their statements down. After that was done the officers assured them that they would be notified should their statements be needed in court.

**  
**Together they carried the still unconscious Kodachi to their car and laid her onto the backseat. The officers bid them good bye and drove off. Both cursed individuals could not help themselves, they had the feeling that Kodachi Kuno would escape the whole affair unscathed. This suspicion was supported by the fact that the officers had been very lax with their witness accounts once they had heard the name Kuno. In fact, they had hardly noted down anything. Thus it seemed as if the money and influence of the Kuno family in this ward would achieve victory over justice once more.

**  
**Ranma sighed. She could really not comprehend how loons like the Kunos could be allowed a free reign only because of their money and influence. Who would be declared responsible should something really bad happen? What if Kodachi suddenly killed a girl that looked like her? What then? Something had to be done about the Kunos, but for the life of her, she had no idea what. If not even the authorities could or would put a stop to their activities...

**  
**Kasumi obviously shared her thoughts, for he looked very glum and introspective. Gathering her bearings she managed a smile. "How about we get to the Nekohanten now? That incident kept us long enough."

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded in agreement. Surely Cologne was already waiting for them. "You're right. If you would, Miss Saotome?" he said with a smile.

**  
**Ranma smiled back. "Of course, Mr. Tendo." she said and gathered him into her arms.

**  
**Had anyone watched this, they would probably have fallen over with laughter at the picture of a petite redheaded girl carrying a tall, brown-haired guy in her arms. Or been surprised as hell. Anyway, Ranma thought nothing of it and jumped up onto the next rooftop, from where she started towards the Nekohanten. Once more she noticed that Kasumi seemed to feel quite comfortable in his position, and she allowed herself a smile at the level of trust he had in her.

**  
**She shook herself out of her musings when she noticed that she had overshot the mark. Smiling sheepishly she hopped the few rooftops back to the Nekohanten and landed elegantly with her precious cargo cradled safely in her arms. A moment later she let Kasumi softly out of her arms and down to the ground once more.

**  
**The oldest Tendo sibling smiled. "That was wonderful, Ranma. Even with the Kodachi-incident." he exclaimed. "When can we do it _again_?"

**  
**Ranma nearly face-faulted, but caught herself in time and smiled. "Whenever you want to, Ka-kun."

**  
**Suddenly a cackle could be heard from the front door of the Nekohanten. "Exuding your charm, Ranma?" Cologne teased.

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi both blushed and sputtered, which caused Cologne to cackle some more. "Don't mind my teasing, children. It's just one of the few sports an old woman has left. As you can see," she said and pointed to her backpack, which was twice as tall as she, "I am ready to go. The soap is stored in my personal stuff space, and I have left a note with instructions for Shampoo and Mousse. And Tendo Kasumi, would you join me inside for a few minutes, there are some things I would like to talk to you about."

**  
**Kasumi looked surprised at Ranma, who shrugged and gave him a smile. Nodding towards her and returning the smile the cursed Tendo followed the Elder inside the Nekohanten. Cologne closed the door behind him, and the two settled down into a booth. The backpacks had been placed on the floor. "As you know, Tendo Kasumi," the Elder began, "Ranma is as of now an ally of my tribe, and as such I will offer him/her the best possible assistance, and in proxy you too. I know what you are feeling for Ranma, but because the kisses have been cancelled you need not fear. Your care for Ranma is quite obvious, Tendo Kasumi, and because of this you should know some things about Jusenkyo curses so you will be able to help Ranma once she changes into a girl for three or more months."

**  
**The oldest Tendo sibling had been surprised at first that the Elder had known of his feelings, as he had thought that he had hidden them well. But apparently that had not been the case. Well, as Cologne had said, there was no need for worry any more. "That would be most helpful, Elder. You are right, I do care a lot for Ranma, and I think I even love him, her too. Though I do not understand some of the reactions of my cursed form. But maybe your explanations will help. And please, call me Kasumi."

**  
**Cologne smiled, which was once more no nice sight. But it was the intention that counted. "Gladly, Kasumi. And you may call me Cologne. Being called Elder all the time makes me feel older than I already am, and that is more than old enough. But I am getting off track. The first thing you should know about Jusenkyo curses is, that the transformational magic of the Springs uses the genetic make-up of the victim to bring it into the form it would have had had it been born this way. In fact, Ranma does not look the girl who drowned in the Spring originally more than 1500 years ago."

**  
**Kasumi was now quite surprised. "You mean to say that Ranma in female form and I in male form look like we would have looked had we been born this way? And that our genes in these forms are our own and not those of the persons that drowned originally in there?"

**  
**Elder Cologne nodded. "Yes, Kasumi. The being or person that has drowned in a spring originally only serves as a kind of marker and serves to define the basics like the gender in case of gender-changing curses like that Ranma and you acquired or the species in case of animal or more esoteric curses. The rest is provided by the DNA of the victim. _This_ is the reason why Ranma looks so much like her mother in female form, as she obviously inherited a lot of her mothers' genes. And you should thank the Kami for this in my opinion." she added with a cackle. "The curse also contains something akin to a brief manual on how to handle the cursed body. That's also why Mousse has the ability of flight or why my great-granddaughter lands on her paws when falling down as a cat." she explained.

**  
**The younger woman-turned-man nodded. "I understand, Elder. And it is really a good thing that Ranma inherited a lot from her mothers' side. I shudder to imagine a Ranma with more resemblance to Genma."

**  
**The matriarch actually shuddered and nodded. "That is exactly what I thought. Genma Saotome is an all around worthless male, and it is a good thing that Ranma seems to take after Saotome Nodoka in a lot of areas. But alas, we're getting off track again. There are still a lot of things that you should know, and I am sure that Ranma is getting impatient already. Thus I will hurry up."

**  
**She took in a deep breath. "Kasumi, we from the Joketsuzoku have a lot of experience with gender changing curses. Over the time we have lived near Jusenkyo several of our warriors fell into the Spring of Drowned Man. Be it due to challenges or simple accidents. And aside from the obvious physical differences pertaining the genders there are also other, internal differences."

**  
**Kasumi nodded. "I know where you are getting at, Elder. As you might know, I am well versed regarding medicine, so I know that the hormonal levels are one of the differences you meant."

**  
**The old matriarch nodded impressed. Not many managed to surprise her, but there was apparently a lot more depth to the character of Tendo Kasumi than she would have thought. Slowly it dawned on her that they probably would have been in for a lot more trouble had Tendo Kasumi been the one Ranma had originally been engaged to. "Yes, this is one of the differences. You, Tendo Kasumi, will have to be very careful with the male hormones of your cursed form. It will take at least a month, maybe even longer, until the hormonal levels of your cursed form have approached a normal level. Due to that is also very wise to stay in your male form. Would you constantly change between forms it would complicate the adaptation process greatly."

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded. "I thought as much, Elder. And as the hormonal levels are controlled by the brain, there is the other major difference. It is known that the male brain is differently structured than the female, and the brain chemistry is quite different too. As you noticed, I read about it in my books."

**  
**Cologne nodded again, once more impressed. Yes, Tendo Kasumi was a lot more intelligent than she let on. "Correct, child. And to which consequences will this lead once you stay in your other form, Kasumi?"

**  
**The younger man thought for a moment to gather his bearings before answering. "The male brain of my other form denotes that I will have a different brain chemistry and a different brain structure. This means that the hormonal levels will be very imbalanced at first, which I already noticed during the times I was in my cursed form. I suppose that due to the fact, that evolution has hardwired several responses into the male brain, I will over time react more and more like a male would to stimuli." he concluded.

**  
**The matriarch nodded again. "Correct again, child. Over time you will act and behave like any man would. The speech patterns will become different, the way you handle things and so much more. But there is no reason to fear that you might turn into a male in mind, child. For there is another and very important part of a person which defines what a person is: the personality. And the personality is stored in some kind of secondary brain. Some races call it the 'spiritual brain'. It contains the personality, the part of a person which will remain unchanged regardless which gender the person has."

**  
**Kasumi looked thoughtful, then he nodded as he remembered something. "Yes, I have read of this too. But I also remember that the 'personality storage' can be influenced by the primary brain to some extent. It is like with computers, where the RAM, the secondary brain, influences the harddrive, the primary brain. And there are some cases in medicine were the primary brain is being influenced by the secondary. Amnesia is a good example for this."

**  
**Cologne agreed, obviously impressed by both the analogy and the example Kasumi had chosen. "You are correct. But in most cases of the more common temporary Amnesia is reversible, and the fact remains that you won't change in mind unless what you mentioned happens. So you need not fear to become a man in mind, as little as Ranma has to fear to become completely female. You two can get used to your cursed bodies without ruffle or excitement and find a balance between your two halves. Tell this to son-in… Ranma when you deem that the time is right."

**  
**The oldest Tendo child nodded. "I will, Cologne. And thank you for telling me this. It was most informative."

**  
**The Joketsuzoku nodded. "You are welcome, child. But now we should hit the road, as the people say. Ranma is surely getting impatient by now. But before we leave I suppose that you too will want to change back, eh? The odd downpour or what has happened? And let me get some herbs for that nasty cut you got there. I won't ask how you received it, you can tell me later."

**  
**Kasumi nodded once more. "That would be nice, Cologne. I will go and get Ranma. She will surely want to change back too."

**  
**Cologne nodded, got up and pogoed towards the cupboard where she kept her herbs. "You do that. I will prepare the herbs."

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded and got up himself. He then went outside to fetch Ranma, and was not surprised that she had busied herself in the meantime. To keep herself occupied she was doing vertical push-ups on one finger. But she had a decidedly bored expression on his face.

**  
**That changed however when she noticed Kasumi, and in one smooth motion she jumped from her one-fingered handstand to her feet. "Hey Ka-kun, ready to go?" she asked with a grin.

**  
**Kasumi smiled back. "Not right away, Ranma. Elder Cologne is preparing an herbal compress for the cut, and she offered us that we could change back if we want. What do you say?"

**  
**Ranma thought for a moment, then she nodded. "Roof-hopping is somewhat easier in my birthform, as I have a greater reach. Okay, let's do it!" she exclaimed and walked inside.

**  
**Two gender-changes and an herbal compress later the three were ready to leave. After Cologne had applied the herbal compress to the wound the old woman pogoed over to another table where a huge backpack stood. Effortlessly she strapped it to her back, and led the way to the door. Together the three exited the Nekohanten and Cologne locked the door.

**  
**Once they were outside Cologne clapped her hands. "Children, my suggestion is we head towards a secluded training ground I know of. It is ideal for the Bakusai Tenketsu training, as I have stored all necessary materials there. It would be best if we took to the rooftops, this way we'd be able to move much faster."

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded. Then he grinned at Kasumi. "I guess you just got your next run over the rooftops. And earlier than anticipated, eh, Kas-chan?"

**  
**Kasumi grinned back. "That's just fine with me." she said and jumped into Ranma's arms.

**  
**If Ranma was surprised by this he did not show it when he caught her effortlessly. What he did show however was a pleased smile. Kasumi had once more demonstrated her trust in him, and it felt good. "Hold on tight." he said. Kasumi did, and as she did so she snuggled up into his chest, which brought another, even more pleased smile to Ranma's face.

**  
**When he was sure that everything was a go for launch, Ranma jumped up onto the next rooftop. Cologne, who had watched the byplay between Kasumi and Ranma shook her head and smiled. **'Younglings. They should stop to dance around one another and come to the point.' **the Elder thought.** 'What they feel for each other is as obvious as saying 'the sun is hot'.** **But considering Ranma's history it is not surprising that he tries to take it slow. Although he is a lot more forward than he ever was with Tendo Akane.' **As an afterthought she mentally added,** 'You deserve happiness, Ranma. My bad that it took me so long to realise it.'**

**  
**A voice shook her out of her musings. "You comin', Cologne?" Ranma asked from above.

**  
**Colognes' answer was to use her staff to catapult herself onto the rooftop and beside Ranma. "You were saying?"

**  
**Ranma grinned, and a second later the run above the rooftops was on. Kasumi felt the wind pass by fast as they rushed past the houses beneath them, and it was a really thrilling way to travel. And how fast Ranma was! She nearly squealed with joy. Sometimes she could only see blurs as they rushed through the night, so fast were they.

**  
**Luckily it was a full moon, which made roofhopping by night a lot easier. Even though they were travelling at a ridiculous speed and were high above the ground, Kasumi never felt any fear. In the arms of Ranma she felt safe and protected, and a part of her wished that she could stay within these arms forever.

**  
**She sighed contently, and Ranma smiled down at her for a brief second. There was something about his smile that made her knees turn into jelly, and she was glad that she currently was in the position she was in.

**  
**Cologne followed Ranma and his precious cargo close in, and she noticed how closely the oldest Tendo daughter had snuggled into Ranma's chest. This display screamed 'I love you' with a megaphone and rock-concert speakers, and not for the first time lately the Elder of the Joketsuzoku mentally congratulated herself for taking the course she had.

**  
**Had she insisted on pursuing Ranma even after all what had happened, disaster might have befallen them. For Cologne had noticed the increasing depression Ranma had been developing before everything had been blown by Tendo Akane. A depression that had approached the levels she had before only seen in the Hibiki boy.

**  
**She shuddered to think what might have happened if Ranma had lost control of him/herself had she added pressure of her own on Ranma. The Elder doubted that anyone would have been able to stop him or her, not after the stunning and downright frightening display of power the female Ranma had given.

**  
**Cologne had not exaggerated when she had written to her fellow Elder Dou Ve that even _she_ had been frightened. Truth be told, she had been shaken to the core. _Never_ would she have imagined that so much power could exist, and in a single person no less. But gladly everything had turned out for the better, and Cologne thanked her ancestors for it.

**  
**Five minutes later Ranma, with Kasumi in his arms, and Cologne landed outside the city limits. "Now you gotta guide us, Cologne." the pigtailed martial artist said.

**  
**Cologne nodded. "Our destination is thirty-three miles to the north-west. The Mlao planes, a secluded area perfectly suited for what we have planned."

**  
**Ranma nodded. He hadn't heard of them, but knowing Cologne that was not surprising. Trust the Elder to find a secluded territory even in a foreign country. "How good are ya at runnin', old ghoul? For that is what we gotta do."

**  
**"Ranma, watch your language!" scolded Kasumi.

**  
**The cursed martial artist looked adequately sheepish. "Sorry, Cologne. Force of habit."

**  
**The Elder grinned. "I can certainly relate, son-in... Ranma." she cackled. "That one was voluntarily. You got me curious however. I always wanted to know why you called me old ghoul, and now you just suddenly you stopped. Why?"

**  
**Now it was Ranma's turn to grin. "You know, it kinda annoyed me that ya always called me son-in-law. That really grated on me nerves. Thus I decided to pay ya back by calling ya that. Now that ya stopped calling me son-in-law I stopped callin' ya the name. Though it's hard ta stop, I gotta admit. Force o' habit, as ya said."

**  
**Cologne was surprised, but at the same time amused. Trust Ranma to do something like that. And she had to admit, the nickname _had_ annoyed her. In the beginning at least.

**  
**There and then she had tried to punish a mere male for showing disrespect towards her, but she had fast learned that being treated like that was par for the course when dealing with Ranma and could not be changed.

**  
**Apparently she had been wrong, gauging from the amount of influence Tendo Kasumi seemed to have on Ranma. All it would have needed with Ranma had apparently been positive influence.

**  
**Not surprising considering that he had had enough bad influence to last him a lifetime. **'And it seems that Tendo Kasumi did just that, exert a positive influence on Ranma. Thus she has won where all the others failed. My felicitations, Tendo Kasumi.'** the Elder thought.

**  
**Cologne nodded to herself. Ranma did deserve happiness, and apparently he would find it with Tendo Kasumi. Now she, Head Matriarch Cologne of the Joketsuzoku, would do everything in her might to ensure that Ranma could protect Tendo Kasumi as best as possible. For with their curses, they were sure to attract chaos like lemonade a colony of ants.

**  
**Granted, the pigtailed martial artist was probably among the strongest on the planet now, but there was still room for improvement. Time to start the training on the Breaking point technique. And she would train Ranma in _both_ forms. "To answer your question, Ranma, I'm not as good on my feet as I used to be. Had we to travel by foot, I would probably hinder our progress."

**  
**Ranma smirked. "Not a problem, Cologne. Get a hold on my back. And I'll carry you in my arms, Kasumi. This would be the fastest way."

**  
**Cologne nodded and Kasumi smiled at the prospect to be in Ranma's arms again. Seconds later Cologne had attached herself to Ranma's back, and Ranma had swept Kasumi in his arms. The Elder noted for the first time that Ranma had grown a few inches and had filled out quite nicely. Naturally, all muscles. Add to it that Ranma's shoulders had broadened and you had a man that would make any dame swoon.

**  
**Ranma Saotome was indeed becoming a man. This was also emphasised by the fact that he underwent this training trip to find him/herself with only Tendo Kasumi as company. And if everything went as planned, Ranma would become a woman soon. Cologne expected that she would also hit a growth-spurt if only she stayed long enough in female form. Which she would.

**  
**From what she had seen of Ranma's mother Nodoka, Ranma's female form had inherited a lot of her mothers' genes, gladly for the girl. Cologne got nightmares from imagining Ranma with Genma's facial features. Bleagh! **  
**It was a little known fact that the transformational magic of the Springs used the genetic make-up of the victim to bring it into the form it would have had had it been born this way.

**  
**The being or person that had drowned in this spring originally only served as a kind of marker and served to define the basics like the gender (in case of gender-changing curses) or the species (in case of animal or more esoteric curses). The rest was provided via the DNA of the victim.

**  
**Yes, Ranma would fill out quite nicely once she'd hit her growth-spurt. Supposedly she'd have to beat the boys off of her with a stick once she had blossomed into full womanhood.

**  
**Cologne cackled silently to herself. She knew that when reports of boys starting to fly for mysterious reasons came in Ranma would have become a woman.Unbeknownst to Colognes´ internal musings, the cursed martial artist smiled at Kasumi and off they were.

**  
**The training ground was really secluded and really hard to find, but with the directions he'd received from Cologne it had been easy. What had not been anticipated by Ranma had been the downpour that had occurred when they were five miles away from their destination.

**  
**It was only good that it was night, else it would have really looked weird to see a relatively short, buxom and extremely beautiful red-headed girl carrying a tall, brown-haired man in her arms and something that looked like a troll on her back. But as said, as it was night and the full moon was barely visible behind thick clouds nobody saw the strange trio, which was quite alright in Ranma's book.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko was quite surprised at the reaction that occurred after the change had been complete. He suspected strongly that it had something to do with raging and still very much unbalanced male hormones, but upon finding his male self in the strong arms of and in close proximity to a very attractive girl his body had reacted instinctively. Also Kasumi-otoko was very glad that it was night and nobody saw, for the bulge in his pants was quite noticeable and made him blush. The knowledge that it was a natural physical reaction for a male, which Kasumi presently was, would have done little to reassure him.

**  
**From her position on Ranma s back Cologne had not noticed, and Ranma had apparently fixated her view on the way ahead. Good! He would have never lived it down if either of them had noticed. Luckily the bulge receded after some time, but some strange pressure remained. Was that male arousal? **'Must be.'** Kasumi-otoko mused, '**But it felt so different compared to what I feel as a woman. Not in a bad way, though. Only the pressure is irritating.'**

**  
**Unbeknownst to Kasumi Ranma had also had a surprising reaction. Upon suddenly feeling a firmly muscled and good smelling male pressed into her breasts her body had reacted and her nipples had suddenly become hard. In contrast to the times when the annoying old lech Happosai had tried to grope a feel, this had really felt good. She had also felt a strange tingling sensation in her lower abdomen of which she had no idea what it was. This was all so confusing to her! Maybe that had something to do with what her mother had mentioned in their talk, she mused embarrassed.

**  
**She was only glad that Kasumi-otoko had apparently not noticed her reaction. _Had_ he noticed she would never have lived it down. But luckily he seemed to be somewhat distracted by something. Ranma could not quite describe it, but on an unconscious level she knew that she was attracted to Kasumi-otoko. There was this strange feeling as if a horde of butterflies were flying through her stomach accompanied with the feeling of something warm and wet between her legs.

**  
**Concentrating on what lay ahead Ranma banished those thoughts from her mind. Five minutes later they arrived at their destination, and the three pitched up their tents without saying much. It was far too late to start on the training, and truth be told, Ranma felt quite exhausted from the happenings of the day.

**  
**And what a day it had been! Little did Ranma know now, but this day was a turning point for him/her. And several years later Ranma Saotome would still look back on this day with fondness. Shortly afterwards Kasumi-otoko, Ranma and Cologne went to their respective tents and called it a night. Soon peaceful snores could be heard, and everything was quiet.

**  
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**  
**The next day started out much like the last had. It was once more a beautiful spring day, neither too warm nor too cold. Just the right conditions to start a very exhaustive training. Ranma had woken up early, filled with anticipation of what was to come. Ever since she had seen Ryoga use it for the first time she had wanted to learn the Bakusai Tenketsu. Badly. And now was finally her chance.

**  
**She liked her lips in anticipation and worked the zipper of the tent. The backpack she left here, as it contained nothing that could be of use to her today. When she exited the tent she noticed that Cologne was already up. It seemed like she did an Amazon version of morning exercises, for whatever it was, it looked pretty intense.

**  
**"Good morning, Ranma." Cologne called out, and Ranma returned the greeting. She looked around, but did not see Kasumi. Hmm, obviously he was still asleep.

**  
**As they had had no hot water available, they had had to stay in their cursed, no, Ranma corrected herself, alternate forms. Ranma really wanted to accept the curse, and had decided to think of her cursed form as something other than a cursed being, namely an alternate form of Ranma Saotome.

**  
**"I'm ready, Elder. Only gotta heat me some water, and then we can begin." Ranma enthused.

**  
**Cologne grinned. "There's no need for this, Ranma-chan." she said, pronouncing the chan. "I want to train you in _both_ of your forms. I don't know how much will carry over if you were only trained as a male. Know that your female side needs as much training as your male side, for it will be with you for the rest of your life. You will always be half-girl, Ranma. And what would you do if you were not trained as good as a female as you are as a male and you had to fight an opponent as strong or stronger than your female half? Get hot water and change back? Unlikely during a fight. So take my advice, child, and train your female body as much as you can. Neglecting it might cost you dearly in the future."

**  
**Ranma raised a hand to her chin and thought for a moment about what Cologne had said. There was no way around it. What Cologne had said made perfect sense. If she neglected her female self and got into a fight with an opponent as good as her or even superior, she would very likely not get the time to change back.

**  
**And what if her opponent found out that the only thing he/she had to do was to splash her male half with cold water to gain an advantage? Truth be told, that was something she had never really considered until now.

**  
**No, Cologne was right. From now on she would train her female body as vigorously as her male body. Maybe even more, for she had to catch up with her male half quickly. Sure, even when female she was supposedly now one of the strongest in the world, but who knew who or what lurked out there?

**  
**Finally she voiced her decision. "I see your point, Elder Cologne. If you will, I would like to start the training as soon as possible."

**  
**Cologne smiled at Ranma s decision. It was the right one, for it was the _only one_. "Good, child. You see this area over there?" she asked and pointed towards a plain. Ranma nodded. "Good. There we will train."

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded in eager anticipation, just when Kasumi-otoko emerged from the tent. Ranma gave him a smile, unbeknownst to her how dazzling it was and waved a "Good morning!" at Kasumi-otoko.

**  
**Said cursed individual was momentarily at a loss of words due to said smile. It took him several tries to re-establish enough higher brain functions to stutter a "Good morning!" back.

**  
**"We will now start the training in the Breaking Point technique. Cologne made me see that it would be good to learn it in both forms. Do you wanna come with us?" Ranma asked.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded promptly. "Oh my, I would like that."

**  
**That caused Ranma to wiggle a finger at him. "What did I tell you about saying 'Oh my' when a guy, Kasumi? Or should I call you Yoshiro?"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko looked sheepish. "Sorry, Ranma. As for calling my male form Yoshiro, please start this once we are locked. Ne, Ránmā?"

**  
**Ranma blushed. And Cologne cackled. "Touché, I'd say. But what is this about calling Kasumi's male form Yoshiro? You got me curious, Ranma-chan." the Elder said, using the female suffix voluntarily. Ah, it was too funny how easily Ranma could be teased!

**  
**Blush deepening, Ranma answered. "We had to come up with names for our cursed forms. With Nabiki's help we got ourselves ID-cards with adjusted maintenance histories for them, and I chose to use the name Ránmā Saotome, for obvious reasons. I just hate the name Ranko and would never choose that as my name! And Kasumi chose the name Yoshiro Tendo. You know, Yoshiro means 'free son' in our language. And cause of the curse that is what Kasumi is now. Free."

**  
**The Elder nodded. "I see. Quite creative, I admit. But enough talk. We got a long day ahead of us. _You_ most of all, Ranma . The sooner we get started the sooner it will be over."

**  
**That did not sound exactly reassuring to Ranma. But she wanted to learn the Bakusai Tenketsu. And if Ryoga had managed to do so, she would too. However, Kasumi could not suppress his worries when he learned of what was involved in the Bakusai Tenketsu training. "Elder, do I gather it right that boulders will be thrown at Ranma until she has toughened up enough to become impervious to their impact?"

**  
**Cologne nodded in answer. "Yes, child. But there is a bit more to it still." she said with a smile.

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded. "But what about Ranmas breasts? As you surely know, the breasts are the most sensitive parts of a woman's body. Won't it be very hurtful for Ranma?"

**  
**Even Ranma looked somewhat worried, as even she knew how sensitive her breasts were. "Ain't there some technique that can help?"

**  
**Elder Cologne smirked. If her smile was bad enough to scare away most normal humans, her smirk was enough to make even the most battle-hardened Musk warriors run away in abject terror. "Yes, there is. And you already have all the prerequisites that are needed. During the training you only need to concentrate your ki into your breasts to harden them from the inside until the outside has been toughened up enough by the procedure. This is what we would have done anyway, Ranma. This is what my tribe has done ever since we developed the technique."

**  
**Both Ranma and Kasumi looked relieved. And with that the training began. Ranma spent hours upon hours peeling herself off of boulders. As she nearly had the technique down already, the toughening part of the training was the most important part. But it was also the most hurtful part...

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	12. Turning points

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 12: Training and Feelings**

**  
**It took only three days to toughen Ranma-chan up to the level of Ryoga, and it was no surprise that the ki-technique to protect her breasts had worked as predicted. Cologne had once more been astounded at how easily the young Saotome improved. Ranma had been exhausted as hell after the first day and had fallen into a deep slumber, after a healthy lunch, of course, from which she had only awoken next day. That she had gone to sleep in female form had not really mattered to her, for she had been much to put out to care at the time.

**  
**During these three days Kasumi-otoko had trained himself to get fully used to walk and run as a man. Relearning these basics had been quite irritating, but due to the differences between the bodies also very necessary. The walking part had, with Ranma's help which the Saotome youth had already begun to provide at the Tendo Dojo, worked quite well. But Kasumi-otoko still had had difficulties with running because of the longer stride he now had. Though now, after three days, he had it down well enough to run without landing flat on the face. His way to walk was not the manliest way by far, and Ranma had already announced that she'd educate him later on how to walk properly as a man.

**  
**Cologne had also begun to show Kasumi-otoko some Tai chi exercises of her tribe which increased the awareness of ones own body, and the Elder said that these exercises would help him to get used to his new body. She also recommended that he should teach these exercises to Ranma to make it easier for her.

**  
**As for Ranma, it had been no surprise that she had mastered the technique flawlessly, and when she exclaimed the trademark "Bakusai Tenketsu!" for the first time, Kasumi-otoko exclaimed a whoop of joy at the sight of debris flying everywhere. Ranma, on her part, looked at her right index finger with a huge grin, and she was very satisfied that she had finally acquired the toughness to use this great technique.

**  
**During the time of the training Elder Cologne had had quite a lot of time to talk, and while she smashed boulders at Ranma she'd also taught Kasumi some of her knowledge regarding local and foreign herbs and fungi. And once more the Elder had been astounded as to how quick the oldest Tendo child was on the uptake. Maybe Tendo Kasumi was even intelligent enough to achieve knowledge comparable to that of an Amazon master healer should she ever decide to become a healer. Which was what Cologne highly recommended.

**  
**But Kasumi was still uncertain, and understandably the Tendo child wanted to get used to the curse first. Though the Elder was quite certain that Kasumi _would _attend college should the opportunity arise. She had sensed that Kasumi was slowly realising that she was now free of the chains that had bound her to the Tendo Dojo, and she (currently he) was acting more open and forward by the day.

**  
**Slowly it seemed as if the traditional Japanese housewife was evolving into something different, and Cologne was sure that Ranma would help Kasumi to become her own person in the duration of their trip. Though the male hormones and the inner fire Cologne sensed in Tendo Kasumi would surely also be of great help in that regard.

**  
**From time to time the Elder would catch a glimpse of homesickness in Kasumi, and it was no wonder that the Tendo child missed her relatives, as she had never been away from her home for a prolonged time. But Cologne was sure that Tendo Kasumi would overcome it, especially once the two youths stopped dancing around each other.

**  
**Inwardly Cologne was taking bets on how long it would take the two to admit their feelings to each other, feelings which were too obvious to miss. But until that would happen the Elder distracted the Tendo child with exercises, and it was already obvious that Kasumi was enjoying them and her stay here more and more.

**  
**The hardening procedure Ranma underwent had then been repeated the next day. All the time Kasumi (mostly in male form due to the odd downpour that occurred multiple times a day) had tended to Ranma, and Cologne could literally see the sparks fly between those two.

**  
**Too bad that it had not been possible to bring Ranma Saotome into the tribe as anything but an ally of the Joketsuzoku. But so Fate had decided, and the Amazons and she could be happy with what they had achieved. Ranma would be an excellent ally of the tribe, and to have Ranma's partnership would be much better than to have his enmity.

**  
**While Ranma had spend her time peeling herself off of boulders, and pushing her endurance and toughness to new heights with a determination seldom seen before in even her, Cologne had continued to instruct Kasumi in the basics of Tai chi and herbal knowledge.

**  
**After the toughening procedure was over for Ranma, the Elder was very pleased with the progress her students had made. Very few had a learning curve that could compare, and if things proceeded like that, she would be finished with teaching Kasumi-otoko the basics in four days. More than enough time and opportunity to teach Ranma in both forms the one or the other trick.

**  
**Today it would be the male Ranma's turn for toughening up, as he had the technique behind the Bakusai Tenketsu already mastered. But the toughening of the body was as crucial, for only going through the ordeal of having thrown boulders at one, one became impervious to the disastrous side-effects of the Breaking Point technique.

**  
**Ranmas' toughness which she had acquired after only three days of intense toughening up could now compare to that of Ryoga any time. Meaning, she was now nearly indestructible. Cologne wondered if Ranma-otoko's toughness would reach even higher heights. She would find out soon.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
**And find out she did. It seemed that the repetition of the toughening process, which took again three days, had indeed been useful in making Ranma-otoko even tougher than Ranma-chan. Even if not by much.

**  
**But due to the added toughness, Ranma could now compare to that of a tank anytime now. In addition to the powers Ranma had already displayed, it made the Saotome youth (in both forms) one of the greatest fighters in Japan and probably the whole planet.

**  
**It seemed, as if one of the dreams of the male fool Genma Saotome had come true: Ranma was now the best fighter of his/her generation, as far as she knew. And Cologne had to admit to herself, that she was damned proud to have taught him/her. But there were still a few tricks this one could teach him/her.

**  
**In the last three days, during the time they had used to toughen Ranma-otoko up, Cologne had also begun to show Kasumi-otoko some basic moves of Amazon Wu in addition to the Tai chi lessons. And it was surprising to the Amazon Elder, how well she had progressed.

**  
**For although Kasumi had not had much prior training (in fact she had started training in her schools' Art again ever since Ranma had renewed her interest in the Art through his/her constant fights) she did remarkably well. She seemed to soak up the forms and techniques as well as the abstract theory behind them like a sponge. Which came as a surprise.

**  
**Like Nodoka before her, Cologne came to the realisation, that there was much more to Tendo Kasumi than met the eye on first look. She was not as oblivious towards the world as she always had always pretended to be. In fact, she seemed to be _very_ intelligent. To progress this far in such a short amount of time was certainly a big pointer in that direction.

**  
**If the Joketsuzoku treated Ranma right, and she would assure that her tribe did, they could maybe benefit from a (now quite likely) union of Saotome Ranma and Tendo Kasumi. Even if those two still seemed to be somewhat in denial. Cackling inwardly Cologne thought to herself, if she should just bop them over the head with her stuff and tell them to admit their feelings already. But for the time being she limited herself to watching. This was just too funny. Sometimes the life of Ranma Saotome seemed to resemble a soap opera more than anything.

**  
**Thinking back to her tribe Cologne grinned to herself. They had no a mighty ally instead of a mighty potential enemy. And if the Joketsuzoku could win their future offsprings as allies once they were old enough, they would then have ensured the tribes safety further. Yes, far reaching ties with the Saotome Clan were indeed desirable, should things work out the way Cologne hoped. If only the influence of the fool Saotome Genma could be removed…

**  
**Maybe Saotome Nodoka would act when she learned, what exactly Saotome Genma had done to Ranma on their training trip. As far as she knew, nobody had explained the Neko-ken to Saotome Nodoka as of yet. Hmm, maybe she should pay the Tendo Dojo a visit and let a few words drop. Accidentally, of course.

**  
**The Elder nodded to herself. That would be satisfying, and surely in the best interest of the future couple. That they were about to become a couple was quite predictable. Cologne had watched the byplay, that went on and off between Ranma and Kasumi-otoko, and she was quite certain that her predictions were true. She had not over 300 years of experience in reading people for naught. Obviously they were _very_ much attracted to each other, as well in their normal forms as in their cursed forms, which was always a plus for cursed couples with opposite curses.

**  
**The Elder had known several such couples throughout her long life, and she knew that they had had (and some still had) fulfilled and interesting marriages. For example, it had not always been the one _born_ female that had given birth. But that was something far off-topic for Ránmā and Yoshiro aka. Ranma and Kasumi.

**  
**While Kasumi-otoko, who had decided to stay in male form now that they seemed to have a rainy day, continued to get the exercises Cologne had shown him down to perfection, the Elder began to teach Ranma some of the more potent techniques of the Joketsuzoku.

**  
**She had already faxed Ranma's acceptance to become an ally of the tribe to her fellow Elders, plus the conditions she had added herself, including her vote to accept at all costs, and she had already received the confirmation that everything had gone the way she had wanted it. There was no way to remove or alter Ranmas status now or in the future without a massive loss of face and honour on the tribes part, and no one would dare to risk _that_. Additionally her plan regarding the Kisses had been put into action, and results should be visible in one to two months. The Elder was quite confident that everything would go her way, and what little resistance the other Elders would offer would be swept away by Dou Ve and their fellowship on the Council.

**  
**Saotome Ranma (in both forms) was now an official ally of the Joketsuzoku, and as such entitled to learn any technique the Joketsuzoku deemed him/her worthy of. Thus Cologne began to teach him a modified version of the Hiryu Shoten Ha. The matriarch knew from eye-witness accounts, that Ranma _had_ already modified the Hiryu Shoten Ha in her battle with Saffron.

**  
**That in and on itself was already impressive, for it required massive concentration and mastery of ki and aura-manipulation. But what she had to show the cursed martial artist now would certainly be much to his liking. And thus Ranma learned, how to create a Hiryu Shoten Ha just by himself, without being dependent on the hot ki of an opponent. The basic method to create the Hiryu Shoten Ha was quite useless, if an opponent simply could not be angered enough to develop a hot aura, and therefore the use of the basic attack was limited.

**  
**The modified version of the Hiryu Shoten Ha did not have this weakness. All that needed to be done was to rapidly switch between a hot and a cold aura, while spiralling around your own axis. The only disadvantage was, that one could not rely on the ki of an opponent to literally use their own strength against them. In case of the revised version, the user had to resort to his or her own ki-reserves.

**  
**And only _very few_ of the Joketsuzoku had ever managed this. Cologne was among them, but even she could not produce many of the deadly whirlwinds depending only on her own power. But in Ranma's case Cologne had no worries. From what she had read of Ranma in her last scan of his aura, his ki reserves had even deepened further compared to what they had been when the female Ranma had given a display of her powers.

**  
**Thus Cologne had simply showed Ranma how it was done, and unsurprisingly he had it down quite fast. What happened then was all the more surprising, however. For soon the area was swamped with tornados of all sizes as a Ranma, who was as merry as a lark, released countless revised versions of the Hiryu Shoten Ha.

**  
**Cologne nearly fell of her staff in a supreme face-fault, and she wondered once more just how much ki the young warrior had at his disposal. For she would have been out of the count after three of the monsters at best. And here was Ranma, who did it just like it was all child's play. The Elder nodded to herself. She had seen many clues, and now she knew that she had been right. Ranma _had_ absorbed some of Saffron's powers in and after the battle. Or somehow copied them. There was no other explanation for this incredible increase in power. But how this had come to, she did not know. And she doubted that she ever would.

**  
**Then Ranma paused for a moment, nodded to himself and doused himself with the next convenient cold liquid, a bottle of water, in that case. Obviously Ranma wanted to know, if she'd be as good in firing off the revised Hiryu Shoten Ha.

**  
**Cologne had told Ranma before teaching him the revised version, that it would carry over to the female half without any problems. But Ranma apparently wanted to apply a field test. And again Ranma, now in female form, began to release the revised versions of her most deadly attack like there was no tomorrow. The ease with which she did it started to make even Cologne envious.

**  
**Suddenly the Elder's eyes widened in amazement at the feat Ranma was now pulling off. Instead of releasing a 'normal' revised version of the Hiryu Shoten Ha Ranma had obviously decided to spice it up. "Hiryu Shoten Ha revised: Ice Tornado!" she yelled.

**  
**What was rushing at the trees a few hundred yards north of them was not the normal tornado the Hiryu Shoten Ha produced, but a whirlwind that seemed to consist of ice! Truly remarkable. **'Hmm, obviously Ranma has combined the revised Hiryu Shoten Ha with the Soul of Ice. Most intriguing.'** she thought, as she watched the icy whirlwind impact the trees. They were not only destroyed, but blown to icy splinters. In fact, this variant of the Hiryu Shoten Ha was a revised version of the one Ranma had used to kill Saffron, with the one difference, that she didn't depend on the hot ki of an opponent any more.

**  
'And most potent.'** the Matriarch added as an afterthought, and Kasumi-otoko, who was standing some feet away from her, had eyes the size of dinner-plates, his exercises long forgotten. Sure, he had seen Ranma release a Hiryu Shoten Ha on occasion, but that here was really something else. And what was she doing _now_?

**  
**Cologne noticed it too. Ranma seemed to concentrate intently for several moments, and she glowed briefly in a fiery hue, before she released another, equally large tornado. "Hiryu Shoten Ha revised: Flaming Inferno!"

**  
**It was as large as its predecessor. Only that this tornado did not consist of ice. Instead, this one was literally made of flames! Needless to say that this tornado consumed another good portion of the poor trees, which were rapidly burned down to ashes.

**  
**Moments later Ranma emerged from her concentrated state, and she took in the image of the devastation she had wrecked for the first time. And to say that she was shocked by what she saw would be an understatement. The Hiryu Shoten Ha in its normal form had been her most deadly attack even though it had been based on her enemies' strength, but these two attacks outclassed it completely. And in contrast to the original Hiryu Shoten Ha these attacks were based on her own power, her own ki. Fact that frightened her somewhat.

**  
**She silently vowed to herself, that she would only use them in a life-or-death situation. There was no room to use those monsters against her normal opponents. None of them would survive, that Ranma was sure of. Those attacks were a last resort, and from now on they would be her own set of Saotome sealed techniques. They were just too dangerous and made the vacuum blades of her father look pale in comparison.

**  
**"What... what in Kami-samas name was _that_?" Kasumi-otoko finally asked, breaking the silence that had descended upon the plain like a blanket after this demonstration of destructive power.

**  
**"Something _really_ deadly." Ranma answered, "Something I swear I'll only use if I have no other choice. I'll never take a life needlessly, and by using these attacks it could happen. Easily. I don't want that." she ended, mumbling. Ranma was deeply unsettled by the destructive power she possessed, and she was involuntarily reminded of how she had had to kill Saffron with her revised and most deadly revised version of the Hiryu Shoten Ha. Those were no pleasant memories, and she felt herself getting depressed.

**  
**Cologne nodded to herself, a satisfied expression on her face. She had been deeply unsettled by the destructive power she had witnessed here and now. The Elder had seen a lot in her 300 years, but those attacks were of a destructive power she had not seen in a long time. It was a good thing that so much power was in the hands of a person with a conscience. The matriarch shuddered as she imagined her rival Bii Da with that kind of power. The world would surely be a darker, _much_ darker place in a case like that. Only good that this irritant was forever out of her hair.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko sensed Ranmas need to be comforted, and hugged her softly from behind, this time holding _her_ tight and secure in _his_ strong arms. And seconds later Ranma leant into the embrace, ready to take the comfort Kasumi-otoko was giving her. In the past months Kasumi had always been there for her, and had given her the emotional support and strength she had needed. And due to that Ranma trusted Kasumi very much. Kasumi had offered her unconditional friendship and trust, something she had not experienced in a very long time. And from there it had grown into more.

**  
**That she was currently in female form, and that she was leaning into a male Kasumi at present didn't bother her much. Not any more, ever since she had found out, that every human being needed and deserved a source of comfort, something she had never known and experienced with baka oyaji before. And now she needed comfort. Besides, it was still easier to express her emotions as a female, and she was still regretting what she had been forced to do at Jusendo. Sometimes she had still nightmares about it.

**  
**But as a female she could let it out so much better, she could talk about things and feelings she never would have talked about in her male form, and she knew that Kasumi would understand her. The comfort she had given her after their talk about the happenings at Jusendo had been one of the greatest experiences of her life. She, now he, had held and comforted her. Thus she leant backwards and simply enjoyed the comforting feeling the embrace gave her. She was rapidly appreciating a feeling she had missed out her whole life: the feeling of safety.

**  
**Grinning to herself, Cologne decided to give those two some time for themselves. It looked as if things could be progressing between the two. Maybe she would not have to bop them over the head after all. "Children, I need to go over to my tent to fetch a scroll. It might take some minutes to find it, though." she said and pogoed off on her stick.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko and Ranma only nodded absently. A moment later Ranma sighed. "Kasumi, I don't want to have to kill some one again. Saffron was bad enough, and _he_ had the ability to regenerate. Others won't come back. I really don't want to think about what could happen if I used those attacks. And who knows, maybe I'll be forced ta use ´em in a future fight!"

**  
**The other cursed individual tightened his hold from behind, and Ranma instinctively snuggled into his broad chest. "Don't fear, my Ranma-chan. You are a good person, and you'd never kill anyone if there was any other way. You told me all about your fight with Saffron. From what you said, he left you no other choice but to kill him. You had to sacrifice a life in order to save many others, my sister the foremost. Ranma-chan, you _saved_ Akane and all the others by doing what you did. They would be dead if you had not! And I am extremely thankful for what you did. Killing is not right, but sometimes, in order to prevent a greater evil, it is necessary. You _did_ what was necessary, Ranma-chan, and that you feel remorse about it shows what a good and caring person you are." he ended with the breast-note of confirmedness. **'A good and caring person I love.'** he added mentally.

**  
**For several seconds Ranma did not reply, as she thought over what Kasumi-otoko had said. Then she nodded. "I have to thank you too, Kasumi. For your kind words and for comforting me back then and now. And... for so much else. I really like you, and that you said what you said just now really, really means a lot to me. Thank you." she said with conviction.

**  
**Ranma twisted her neck and looked up at Kasumi-otoko. His eyes were glinting with happiness. "I have to thank _you_ for taking me on this trip. I am beginning to find myself, and I realise just how limited I have been before, what I had given up. And martial arts really is fun! What Cologne has showed me is really to my liking, and I'd like it if you could show me some moves after we'll move on to your friend. Primarily I want to learn healing techniques, but I also want to be able to defend myself well enough so that I can either get away or hold my own until help arrives. I never want to experience a repeat of what Kodachi did to me." he said with conviction.

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded happily. "Of course I'll teach you, Kasumi. Umm, do you mind if I call you Yoshiro when you're male? It gets kinda irritating to call ya Kasumi when you're male."

**  
**Now it was Kasumi-otokos turn to nod. "It's okay. But only if I can call you Ránmā when you're female." he teased.

**  
**Ranma blushed. "Okay, it's only fair. And I like you too, Kasumi. I really do."

**  
**Obviously the emotions in her voice had carried over, for Kasumi-otoko spun Ranma slowly around with the intention to hug her. When their eyes locked, they both felt an intense spark course through their bodies. And _this_ time, each cursed individual began to act upon it.

**  
**One further look at each other, and their lips locked in a passionate kiss. And unlike the first time that she had been kissed by a guy (she still remembered the kiss Mikado Sanzenin had stolen from her with a righteous fury) she enjoyed it, for she knew, that the person that kissed her was Kasumi. But talk about raging and obviously still balancing male hormones here...

**  
**What followed could only be described as a heavy snogging session. Both had been shocked at first when they had separated after the initial kiss, but the shock was quickly overcome when they both noticed that they had enjoyed it very much. To word it appropriately: their inhibitions were overcome in favour of the passion. And his still balancing male hormones made Kasumi-otoko act a lot more forward than usual.

**  
**They were however coherent enough not to go any further than just kissing and caressing, for the strong sense of honour inherent to both Ranma and Kasumi-otoko kept it from going any further than a heavy make-out session. But it was clear that the dynamics of their relationship were about to change from a budding relationship to a more serious one.

**  
**After catching their breaths and gathering their bearings both decided to talk about their feelings while Cologne was still absent. At first Ranma was quite flattened at what had transpired. "Man, I can't believe that I did... _that_ with a guy. My first _real_ kiss, and it was a guy. Even if it's you, Kasumi. But I have to say, I really enjoyed it, because it was _you_. It felt _good_. Though I still have the feeling that we were doing something perverted." Ranma said.

**  
**Due to all that had happened in the last few minutes she had forgotten that she wanted to call Kasumi-otoko Yoshiro. But the other cursed individual didn't seem to mind, and it was more than likely that it had also escaped his mind. Kasumi-otoko sighed. What had Akane done? If Ranma ever decided to sue Akane for psychological damage his little sister was sure to become a pauper.

**  
**He took a deep breath and sighed. "No, Ranma-chan, we were _not_ doing anything perverted. What we did was normal, normal for a man and a woman attracted to each other. That we are in our cursed forms does not matter in this case. It is normal that men and women, who are attracted to each other do what we did. And I _have_ feelings for you, and I am very much attracted to you, Ranma." There, he had said it.

**  
**Ranma looked surprised for a moment, but the surprise was short-lived. Then she began to talk about what was on _her_ mind. "Let me tell you something. You know, over the last four months I have come to know you a lot better. You taught me, you helped me, and you never wanted anything in return. You never clobbered or malleted me, never insulted or blamed me. Instead, you were caring, understanding, gentle, supportive and all around nice to me. At first, after I arrived and for quite some time, I thought of you as a surrogate mother or an older sister. But this image began to change in the last four months. Completely."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko barely dared to hope. The prior display of emotions had been quite intense during their make-out session, but it could all have been a spur of the moment thing. Was Ranma now really saying what he hoped she was? Could he dare to hope?

**  
**With a smile Ranma gave the answer. "I began to develop other feelings for you, Kasumi. You know how hard it is for me ta talk 'bout me feelings 'n stuff." she said, and Kasumi-otoko noticed that Ranma was slipping into slang once more, a habit that obviously came to life when she was under stress, "Its somewhat easier in this form, but its still hard. But I'll try me best." she said with a smile. "I noticed it first during the talk after Akane had smashed me through the bed. Ya were so nice 'n caring 'n understanding, so very much unlike Akane. Ya tried everything ta help ta bring me 'n Akane together. Ya often took my side during this time, and after ya got cursed my feelings got even stronger. Ya, remember the incident in the kitchen, doncha?" she asked.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded and blushed in remembrance. Though it was nothing compared to what they had done some minutes ago. "Yes, Ranma-chan. I do, and I felt the same. I still do."

**  
**Ranma smiled a dazzling smile and continued. Not being called a pervert once in all the time, or not being malleted constantly gave her the poise to talk about her emotions without choking up or denying them like she would have done normally. With Akane. But this was Kasumi, a person she was growing to love. Rapidly. "Ever from then on till now my feelings for ya have grown stronger, Kasumi. I like ya. I really like ya."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled back. Even though she had not been able to say it in male form, Kasumi had understood what Ranma meant. Ranma _loved_ him/her, but it was still easier to express her feelings when a girl. Curse Genma Saotome for mentally and socially crippling his child! Sure, she had been able to remedy and correct a lot in those nearly four months, but there was still a lot of work left. Work that Kasumi would gladly take on.

**  
**Ranma's ability to express himself and his feelings had improved, but it was still easier for him to do so in female form. _Much_ easier. That was probably also, why Ranma had admitted that she liked him. Such admissions were apparently much easier for her in female form, as she had always been taught that Ranma had to keep his emotions down as to not show any weakness.

**  
**Through constantly suppressing them Ranma had become unable to show or even talk about emotions, although this had improved ever since Nodoka had really started to be there for Ranma after the failed wedding. But the male Ranma still had a long way to go, and Kasumi hoped that what Ranma learned and would learn would carry over to the male half too.

**  
**With his teachings Genma Saotome had robbed the male Ranma off of the ability to express his feelings. They had literally been buried, and only slowly, ever so slowly the male Ranma learned to express his feelings. That it was so much easier for Ranma had everything to do with the different emotional make-up and the hormones of a girl, which became more prominent now that Ranma wasn't fighting the curse so much any more.

**  
**And Kasumi was quite glad that Ranma had been able to express herself this much. He had to admit that he had been surprised, when Ranma had accepted his silent offer to comfort her. Surprised and pleased, as it showed how much Ranma trusted him/her.

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma reflected onto how their relationship had grown up to this point. All the time Kasumi had encouraged her/him to talk to her about his/her feelings, and she had listened patiently and given advice, training and comfort.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled to himself. The cursed martial artist had learned fast to accept his/her opinion as something really worth to be considered, and that he trusted her surely did help. Ranma had needed a person to trust, and he/she had been this person. In return Kasumi had trusted Ranma, even though he only had seemed to see it lately. That Ranma had now been able to say that she liked him/her and maybe even loved him/her meant much. Really much.

**  
**He reached out and stroked her silky red hair softly, and surprisingly Ranma did not flinch back but leant into the touch, obviously enjoying it. "Then it is time to confess my sins, as they say, Ranma-chan. Ever since I started to train you in becoming better regarding social behaviour and language skills and school stuff I came to know you better and better. From our talks I learned a lot about you, and I slowly began to fall in love with you. Yes, Ranma-chan," Kasumi-otoko said to the astonished looking Ranma, "if you didn't guess from our... what do they call it? Oh ye**s**, make out session: I do love you. At first I did not act upon it, because I thought you and my little sister still had a chance to find happiness together. But after what little sis did, and the consequences it caused I decided to not hold back any more."

**  
**Ranma smiled after she had gathered her bearings once more. "I am glad you decided that." she said, leaning into the stroking hand once more to emphasise her point. It felt so good to be comforted in this way that she simply ignored the voices in her mind that said that a true martial artist needed no one but him or herself.

**  
**Her fathers´ stupid teachings could go and screw themselves for all she cared. And as for being manly, slowly she really began to leave being always manly behind her. Here, without the stupid panda or anyone else on her case, she could simply be the _person_ Ranma. A person, who happened to be female at the moment. And a person, who enjoyed being fondled. In light of this, her father's teachings could all dry up and die for all she cared. They were worthless anyway.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled pleased. "After I received my curse you were there for me. You helped me through this hard time, and it is because of you that I have begun to accept the curse. Hey, listen to me! Because of you I started talking like a man. And do you know what? It doesn't bother me that much. I love you in both forms, Ranma Saotome, and it does not matter which form you wear. It is not the _body_ that is important, but the _person inside_. And I happen to love this person. I will however not ask you to marry me, for I know how much you hated to be forced into a marriage with Akane by 'uncle' and my father." he said.

**  
'Although I would not mind _if_ you asked.'** he added as an afterthought. "I have no intention to be like the other women in your life, and I will _never_ become like them, not only because of the curse." he said half in jest. "Women like Kodachi, Shampoo, Ukyo and even my little sister took you as granted, and they fought over you as if you were a possession or a prise to be won at a carnival. How I hated that! No, Ranma, I will and would never make you do something you would not want. If you, however, would consider marrying me some time in the future, you'd make me the luckiest wife... and husband" he added as an afterthought, "on this planet. Ranma, I love you, and that very much. And because I do I want to do everything to make you happy. After all, you most of all deserve happiness." he said with conviction.

**  
**Ranmas smile could have lit up a black hole. "I like ya too. Very much so. And I'm sure, one day I'll ask ya. Just be patient with me." she said and sighed. She had _nearly_ been able to say it this time. "And I see whatcha mean with the person inside. Know what?" she asked, and Kasumi-otoko shook his head. Ranma grinned. "My girl side likes your boy-side as much as my boy-side your girl-side. I finally begin to understand that my forms are two sides of the same coin and nothing separate. Thank you for helping me realising this." she said and placed a passionate kiss on Kasumi-otokos mouth.

**  
**Had someone told her some months ago, that she would be as good as indifferent to making out in her girl-form, she'd probably declared the person more insane than the Kunos. But now that Kasumi was in the same situation as her, only in reverse, it did not matter that much any more. As a guy she liked Kasumi´s girl form, and as a girl her guy form. Now where was the problem with this? I would be downright idiotic to turn off her feelings just because she happened to be a girl at any given moment. Also, it was still Kasumi, in both forms. A Kasumi she had really come to like over the last months and whom she now started to love.

**  
**Kasumi was right. It wasn't the body that mattered, but the person inside.. And although Ranma could not admit out loud yet, that he/she loved Kasumi, the other cursed individual knew. That she was sure of, and that was all that mattered for now. Both Ranma and Kasumi agreed that they would explore their feelings further, and both had enjoyed their 'making out' very much. And both were glad at what they had found together.

**  
**All it had taken for Kasumi had been to be there for Ranma, to be a friend in a rough and hostile environment. To offer the cursed individual a secure harbour, a shelter from the storm his/her life in Nerima had been. Two lonely souls had finally found together. And it was good, for it felt _right_, and that in both of their forms.

**  
**Both also agreed that they would discover their feelings rather in their birthforms in the beginning, despite that both knew that it was the same person inside regardless the form, but it still felt somewhat awkward to kiss the living daylights out of each other in their cursed forms. But both Kasumi and Ranma agreed also, that they would continue to discover their feelings even after they would lock themselves. Neither of them wanted to miss out these fantastic snogging sessions, so much was for sure. And both were sure that they would also get used to making out in their cursed forms over time.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
**In the background, unseen by Ranma and Kasumi, an old Amazon matriarch smiled. It was not a nice sight, but Cologne of the Joketsuzoku was glad for those two. She had already cut her losses, and she had turned the situation to her advantage (somewhat at least). Now, when Ranma and Kasumi would return to Nerima, she'd still have the joyous task to tell her 'kitten' of her decision and plans regarding Ranma. Talk about cat-astrophe...

**  
**After politely coughing and enjoying the flaring blushes of the younglings, Cologne smiled at the two young cursed individuals. Lesser persons would probably have done the sensible thing at the sight of this smile: run away. "Children, I'd say after the exhausting activities of the day it is now time to take a break and eat some lunch." she said in a tone that made clear, that it was more than a suggestion. Their sensei had spoken, and Kasumi and Ranma obeyed.

**  
**Moments later Ranma and Kasumi-otoko were preparing lunch from the supplies Cologne had brought with her in her stuff space from the Nekohanten, while Cologne used her supplies to create a sauce. Not long after that the three were enjoying a quiet meal consisting of rice (mountains of that for Ranma), fish and some vegetables. And a 'hot' Chinese sauce.

**  
**After the lunch had been consumed, meaning, after Ranma was filled, Cologne decided to broach a rather sensible topic. "Ranma, what I have to say now might make you two quite angry. But please listen to me and let me tell you what I found out."

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko looked at each other for a moment, and quite puzzled at that. Then both nodded towards each other and then towards Cologne. "Okay." they said in stereo.

**  
**The Elder gathered her bearings and began to explain. "Surely you two noticed that Tendo Akane acted more and more violent over the last months." she said, and both curse victims nodded. "After what happened when you received your curse, Tendo Kasumi, I decided to check my spice rack. You two don't know it, but after the wedding disaster I had forbidden my great-granddaughter explicitly to use any of my spices, herbs or aphrodisiacs. Any of the tricks, that might be considered underhanded were forbidden to her, as I had decided I had helped her enough already. Every warrior of my tribe had to win her Airen just by herself, without any help from the tribe, and it has been this way for generations. In coming to Japan and helping her, I undertook actions which might be considered questionable. And after I came to know, how immature my great-granddaughter had acted at the wedding, I forsake her any help. From then on she was on her own in her quest to win you, Ranma."

**  
**The pigtailed girl nodded. "I asked myself why you suddenly had stopped to interfere just like that. I mean, come on, before you used every trick in your book to make me Shampoo's husband, and suddenly you just stopped completely. At first I did not trust the peace and quiet and thought you were up to something big. Well, peace and quiet aside from the odd glomp or ramen delivery. But what has Shampoo to do with Akane's behaviour if she could not use any of your tricks, Cologne?"

**  
**Cologne made a face. "It seems as if my great-granddaughter had already secured some of my more potent poisons. I found out when I made my stocktaking that a good dose of fèi zēng jìn dú pǐn¹ poison was missing. It is a quite potent and non-deadly poison that serves to increase negative emotions. Originally it was used in my tribe to turn our warriors into fighting machines before a very decisive battle, and I kept a batch here for security reasons. But I swear on my honour as the leader of the Joketsuzoku that I had no knowledge that Shampoo had used it."

**  
**Ranma nodded to herself. She could very well imagine for which security reasons. Should she have ever accepted a challenge from Shampoo, or should she have proven to be too dangerous to bring into the tribe, that stuff might have been used against her. The Saotome girl shuddered to herself when she imagined a pumped-up Cologne. "So that is why she acted this way. Akane already mistrusted me and was jealous of my abilities, but normally that would have been outbalanced by her affections towards me. But because her anger and jealousy were increased I always got the brunt of her negative emotions until it all boiled over." she said and nodded to herself.

**  
**Now it made sense, Ranma thought. She did not notice Kasumi's troubled expression, for said woman-turned-man feared, that his love might now decide to give Akane a second chance. Thus he waited with bated breath what the outcome would be, and quite literally for the other shoe to drop.

**  
**Cologne, on her part, had nodded. "Correct, Ranma. And it is quite easy to poison the target, as the poison can be applied to the tip of an arrow, which can then be fired using a blowtube. My guess is that this is how it happened. As to when it happened, my guess in that regard is, that my great-granddaughter did it some time after the failed wedding. She probably passed up Akane when the Tendo girl was alone. Shampoo is trained well enough to remain undetected by Akane, and the sting of the arrow, which is tiny, will not have hurt more than the sting of a mosquito. It is quite probable that Shampoo also got hand on one of our special miniature arrows which break down into their components and are absorbed by the victim. But don't worry, they're completely biological and won't have harmed Tendo Akane any further. Quite clever of my great-granddaughter, I have to admit. But I can assure you that she will be punished. She acted against the explicit wishes of her superior, namely me, and this will have consequences."

**  
**The red-haired Saotome girl looked quite angry, but also thoughtful. She had watched Cologne like a hawk when she had told them what she had found out, and if Ranma was a master at one thing, then at reading people. Ranma was quite sure that not even the Elder could fool her, and she was convinced that Cologne had told the truth. "I can not deny, that I am very indignant because of what Shampoo did. I always hated it, when you two used your underhanded tricks, but I believe you when you say that you didn't know. It only saddens me for Akane. I believe she really loved me, but due to what Shampoo did my love to her is dead. Even if her emotions were intensified, it remains that she was angry and mistrustful towards me. She always said that I was a pervert, although I had no idea there and then what she meant. Now that mom has told me the facts of life I can understand where she is coming from, but that makes it even more unfair and hurtful." she said sadly.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko had slowly released the breath he had been holding and skidded closer to Ranma. Then he leant her towards him, and her head leant against his side. "I know, Ranma-chan. My sister had absolutely no right to say these things to you. They were and are unfounded and wrong. If she has not changed her attitude once we return, I will show her that she can not treat the person I love in this way. I will not tolerate it. You are no pervert, but the most wonderful person I have ever met. And I am glad that I have you."

**  
**It was clear that Ranma was deeply moved by what Kasumi-otoko had said. She was still unused to receive positive feelings, but as she knew that Kasumi was the most trust-deserving person she knew that he meant what he had said. "Thank you." she simply said and leant closer into him.

**  
**Now she knew what she had missed all the time. Someone, in whose presence she could relax and simply be herself, someone who was a safe harbour to her and in whose presence she could feel safe. Someone in whose presence she did not have to wear the mask of the macho and uncaring guy. Unconsciously she knew that it was much easier for her to relax and give in to those feelings while she was female, but it was a start. She'd need quite some time until she would be able to trust others and be so easy-going like before her experiences that followed Jusenkyo, but with Kasumi's help she was sure that she would manage.

**  
**It was a great feeling to be loved, and she knew that Kasumi loved her unconditionally, and that in both forms, as far as she could tell. That was also another factor. She doubted that Akane would ever have gotten used to her other form, and most probably she would have forced her to change back immediately whenever she'd have changed forms in case they would have been married.

**  
**This way she would never have had the chance to get used to her curse, for she doubted that Akane would have stopped calling her a pervert only because the curse was with her for the rest of her life. No, it was probably for the better that the Fates had decided to throw her together with Kasumi Tendo instead of Akane Tendo. She inwardly had to snicker at the thought that now, that they were both cursed with opposite curses they would indeed be the ideal couple in both forms.

**  
**While she had hung to her own thoughts, Kasumi-otoko had begun to stroke her hair, and now that she noticed it consciously she leant into the touch to enjoy it to the fullest. Over the course of the last few days she had come to know that there existed something else in the area of physical contact but clobberings and malletings. As much as she had been mistreated by Akane she had nearly forgotten that positive forms of physical contact existed. Needless to say that she liked the change very much. This was something she could get used to easily.

**  
**She suppressed a contented sigh and looked at Cologne from her position. Ranma noticed that the Elder was wearing a knowing smile. "Hey Cologne, any idea how long this poison stuff will last? I mean, it would not be good if Akane started throwing tantrums against my mother and her sister. Pop don't concern me too much, he deserves it."

**  
**Cologne made a thoughtful face. "This particular batch of Fèi zēng jìn dú pǐn is very potent and long lasting. Its effects carry on for at least four to five months, and I estimate that three months are over at best. It would be helpful if someone got her to a doctor. Maybe even one of your… how do you call them again? Ah yes, shrinks, I suppose. Yes, maybe even a shrink could be of help. What Tendo Akane needs now are calming drugs that counter the influence of the Fèi zēng jìn dú pǐn. Honestly, I wonder how the child was able to attend school without destroying it. I will see to it personally that she will receive what she will need. And I will see to it that Shampoo will get punished."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. That satisfied him. It was only too bad that they had no way of contacting his home, as this would have enabled him to help his sister faster. But he'd trust Cologne. As far as he knew, and from what Ranma had told him, the Elder had always kept her word in important matters just like this. "That would be good, Cologne." he finally said. "And I can tell you how she was able to go to school without demolishing anything aside from my love here. Ever since she started acting angrier than usual I spiked her morning tea with calming herbs. I did not think much of it, for she had had such a phase already when our mother had died. It did not help that much, but enough so that I thought she was only going through a phase. And when it still remained the same I began using stronger herbs, until I told father of it. But he only said that his little baby girl was just upset at Ranma for doing this or that, and that it would pass. We all know the end result."

**  
**The Elder nodded. "That we do, Tendo Kasumi. I can only say that I am sorry for what happened, but at least some good came out of it." she said with a wink and a smirk at the two, who blushed nicely. Then Cologne sobered up. "But I will have to punish my great-granddaughter for acting against my will."

**  
**Ranma looked thoughtful and apprehensive. "But don't lock her as a cat or something like that. What she did is hard to forgive, but I can nearly understand her. She acted out of love, and love often makes blind." Then she snatched her fingers and a devilish gleam appeared in her eyes. "I know what could be part of the punishment. Part one could be that you make her research cures for the Neko-ken. That would be reparation towards me for her interference. Part two could be, that she has to admit that she was the one who set Akane up. You could also make her formally apologise to Akane, plus make her find a way to help Akane deal with her temper. And, to top it, she has to go on a date with Mousse!" she finished smirking.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko fell over laughing at the last part, as he knew all too well that Shampoo did not have one fibre in her body that held positive feelings for the Yaazuniichuan cursed boy. Cologne for her part thought through what Ranma had suggested. Finally she nodded. "Those are good ideas, Ranma. They will have to be refined to approach Amazon standard, but they are an adequate working basis. And I promise that I will not lock her in her cursed form. In our tribe this is the worst form of punishment for failure, to be locked in cursed form until the one afflicted with the punishment loses the will to live. I admit that I am very glad that my great-granddaughter will not face this fate once we return to our village."

**  
**The pigtailed girl and the brown-haired man nodded. "I too am happy that Shampoo can return to the tribe with her honour intact. Even though she does not know it yet." Ranma said.

**  
**Cologne nodded while she surveyed the cursed individuals. Some minutes ago they had changed positions and where now sitting side by side, holding hands. Their relationship seemed indeed to be taking the step from a mere budding relationship that it had been throughout the last days to a more serious relationship. And as she checked the auras of Ranma and Kasumi-otoko she also knew why this was happening so fast.

**  
**Gauging from their auras Cologne could tell, that Ranma and Kasumi were very compatible. In fact, had Ranma not had his curse when he had arrived at the Tendo Dojo the Elder doubted that Kasumi would have refused an engagement to Ranma. Most probably those two would have been a married couple by now already had that been the case. But it could not be denied that they were making fast progress in their relationship, which even pleased the Elder. After all, a happy ally was a good ally.

**  
**The Elder let those two cuddle some more minutes before she called off the break. Then she proceeded to teach Ranma some other Amazon techniques she deemed necessary while she instructed Kasumi at the same time. The Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku still had the one or the other ace up her sleeve, and Ranma watched, learned and got the techniques down like she always did. In a moments notice.

**  
**And while Ranma practised, Cologne continued to teach an equally motivated Kasumi-otoko some more martial arts. But soon it would be time for Cologne to return to the Nekohanten. It was not wise to give Shampoo or Mousse any leeway, and their task should nearly be complete by tomorrow.

**  
**Later that evening Cologne and the two cursed individuals were sitting together at a comfy campfire. Ranma and Kasumi, who had changed back to their birth forms after the end of the days training, had long since given up any pretence when in Cologne's presence. Kasumi was presently snuggled up to Ranma's broad chest this time, and now it was Ranma's turn to softly stroke Kasumi's hair. The oldest Tendo daughter obviously enjoyed it very much, and she had her eyes closed. Kisses and caresses were exchanged from time to time, and both had the satisfied smile of lovers on their faces.

**  
**Cologne smiled to herself. Ah, young love. To be young once more. Now she knew more than ever that she had done that right thing. Ranma was now on a good way to find happiness, something they had denied the Saotome child for so long. After this had become clear to her and her realisation that Ranma could not be brought into the tribe as anything but an ally she had more than ever come to rethink the outsider rules.

**  
**She was now convinced that she could revoke the outsider rules with the help of her friends on the council, and ever since she had deemed this necessary for the survival of the tribe she had carefully worked in this direction. But to be honest, Cologne had been surprised that Ranma had not demanded anything in this direction. Maybe the young warrior had been too surprised by this gift horse, and Cologne could understand Ranma.

**  
**Only after she herself had seen vis a vis what the outsider rules did to the potential airen she had realised that the times of old were now finally over. The planet was populated by more than six billion people, and due to the modern means of transportation it could not be ruled out that their village was found by adventurers. And it was simply impossible to declare anyone who won against one of their warriors an airen.

**  
**The repercussions of this would simply be too great and could very well result in severe diplomatic problems. It had only been their luck back then that the Saotomes had been wanted for questioning by the authorities, otherwise they could have made their pursuit of Ranma a lot more difficult. And the tribe could still not risk to get into an open conflict with the other members of the Chinese government, nor would they ever be able to. In order to survive they had to keep a low profile even on the government, and therefore the outsider rules had to revoked.

**  
**The Elder was brought out of her musings by Ranma, who had apparently tried to get her attention. Pretending to stare into the flames she slowly allowed Ranma to get her attention and turned around. "Yes, child?"

**  
**Ranma scratched the back of his head with his right hand before answering. "Err… ya know, Cologne, I don't wanna seem unthankful or anything, and it's really great to be free of the kisses… but what about the other poor guys who're gonna be trapped because of your outsider rules? I mean, I'm now somewhat a part of the tribe too, and I don't like those stupid laws one bit! Ya know, the council can only call me for help if they're attacked, but what happens if someone attacks the tribe who has been afflicted by the outsider rules? Someone who has lost his wife or another loved one and who wants revenge? Ain't there some way to change the outsider rules, or better, can they be cancelled?"

**  
**Cologne nodded sagely instead of protesting, like Ranma and Kasumi would have expected. "Before I answer this, allow me a question. Why did you accept the cancelling of the kisses although you knew, that as our ally you would have to accept our rules?"

**  
**The Saotome youth looked chagrined. "To be honest, this offer was too good to be refused. Ya know, I was really fed up what with the kisses. I really hated how Shampoo always threw herself at me, I hated her stupid glomps, and I hated the whole stupid chase that started because I knocked her out by accident. To be honest, I hate your stupid laws regarding the kisses most of all. When you offered me to end all this I jumped at the offer without thinking twice. Only after I had signed the contract and everything had settled down I began to think. That's why I asked."

**  
**The Matriarch nodded. She had expected this answer. "I know that will come as a surprise, but I see our outsider rules as something outdated and overcome myself. In light of the development of the modern civilisation we can not afford to live like savages any more. And the Kisses, especially the Kiss of Death could cause my tribe great harm in the future if we continued the politic to kill any outsider woman who manages to defeat one of or warriors. The prime example for this was the fight between yourself in your female form and my Shampoo. In hindsight I must say that the Kiss of Death was not justified, as no specific challenge for an honour-fight had been issued. The fight you fought concerned the food your stupid panda of a father had eaten, nothing else. But I digress. I myself plan to revoke both the Kiss of Death and Marriage. They may have served us well in the past, but are more than overcome now. You may not believe it, but I actually try to change these particular rules for a long time. But in the past I have always been thwarted by my former substitute Bii Da. Now that she has been removed from the picture the way is clear for some long overdue reforms."

**  
**The pigtailed youth sat there slack-jawed, and Kasumi was not much better off. Cologne had practically admitted that the Kiss of Death had been unjustified! And she herself wanted to change the Outsider rules. Now talk about really unexpected! But the best surprises were the pleasant ones. "Err… wow." was the intelligible reply of Ranma. Then, when he had gathered his bearings again he grew agitated. "You really wanna revoke the Kisses?" he asked, and Cologne nodded. "Can I have that in writing?"

**  
**The Elder actually grinned. Ranma had matured very much due to the influence of Kasumi, and it had done him a world of good in many regards. "I can give you something better. I, Cologne, Head Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku Amazons promise Saotome Ranma, ally of the tribe of the Joketsuzoku Amazons, on my word of honour as an Elder to revoke the Kisses of Marriage and Death. Acting witness of this is for now and evermore Tendo Kasumi." she declared formally. "You know that the word of honour means everything to an Elder, don't you?"

**  
**Both youths nodded dumbfounded. They had expected a lot, but this adamant confirmation of her intentions from Cologne surprised them greatly. Obviously she really meant business, which was not that surprising after the fiasco she had witnessed regarding her great-granddaughter.

**  
**It was good to see that the Elder had finally given up the near obsessive hunt after Ranma, and the effects were much more positive than expected. For during the last days Cologne had acted really nicely. And said Elder could give them something as important as her word of honour with a light heart. She knew that the outsider rules would be revoked, it would only take a maximum of two months. Her lead would be followed, Dou Ve would assure this.

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi looked at each other and nodded. "We do." they said in stereo."

**  
**Kasumi actually smiled. "It is good to hear that, Elder Cologne. We are really relieved that Ranma won't have to act against his conviction, and that is something which could happen should a scenario like Ranma described should occur. But how do you see the chances that the kisses will be dissolved in the near future?"

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist looked intently at Cologne. His Ka-chan had just asked the prise question. But Cologne smirked. "To be honest, very good. I have made preparations, and my substitute Dou Ve has begun to prepare the other members of the council for what I'm planning. By the time I'll act the resistance will be minimal. In one to two months you can expect the dissolvement of the kisses. From then on our warriors will have to travel the world to convince potential husbands of their worth. It is high time for a more thorough modernisation of my tribe, and its about to start. Actually you can be proud of yourself, Ranma, for you brought about these changes. Had you not proven to be such a hard and actually unbreakable nut we might have never changed our ways. And those who do not change will be crushed by the irresistible gears of time."

**  
**Kasumi and Ranma both smiled as they looked at each other. And another issue resolved. Grand! "Wow, old ghoul, that was deep. And I'm really glad ta hear that the kisses will be dissolved. That's great!" he exclaimed.

**  
**"Ranma! Language!" Kasumi chided, and instantly Ranma looked sheepish.

**  
**"Sorry, force of habit." he relented with a smile, which caused both women to laugh.

**  
**The three chatted a bit about what Cologne expected for the future of her tribe, and also about what the two youths thought about what the future would bring for them. All the while Ranma stroked the hair of Kasumi, who was leaning into Ranma with a content smile on her face. Then Cologne remembered something she had wanted to talk to Ranma about. "Ranma," she began, and the cursed individual stopped in his ministrations to look up at the Elder, "there is something I wanted to talk to you about. About how you became so powerful. I have a theory regarding that."

**  
**Now Ranma was all ears. Absently he continued to stroke Kasumi's hair, but his attention was now clearly on the Elder. Kasumi did not mind though, for she was interested in what Cologne had to say too. "Okay, Elder. Shoot." Ranma said.

**  
**Said Elder nodded. "My theory for your rather immense increase in power is, that you somehow absorbed a part of Saffron's powers in your fight with him. How that came about I do not know. But the evidence is clear. I saw it on several occasions in your aura. When you raised your true battle aura a few days back I noticed it for the first time. It had not only become much more powerful, but different. It is not only hot any more, but seems to consist of fire, the base of Saffrons' powers. Somehow you seem to have these powers now, too. And in addition to your already remarkable powers they have made you now stronger than even Saffron, if Mousse is to be believed. I advise you, Ranma, explore these new powers and train in them. You have them, to which extent I do not know. But knowing you, it's probably the full package. As I said, you have them, Ranma, so train in them and use them. It would be a waste if you did not."

**  
**To say that Ranma was baffled would be an understatement. "You... you mean ta say that I got me power-up from _Saffron_! Oh shit! What if that will make me go evil?"

**  
**Cologne cackled. "Then the world can say bai-bai." Seeing that Ranma was not amused Cologne chuckled and continued. "I was just joking. Another of the few sports an old woman has left."

**  
**Ranma raised a brow at that, and the Elder became serious again. "Believe me, Ranma, there is no danger from that. I examined your aura thoroughly enough to be sure of that. There is no trace of a possession or anything even remotely related. It has never been documented that the Phoenix King could do something like that, so no worries there. It is 'just' that you got powers like Saffron. And it would be wise to use them, Ranma."

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded. He _had_ asked himself for quite some time now _why_ he had become tougher and stronger ever since Jusendo. _That_ explanation had not come to mind. But it made sense and alleviated his worries. And if Cologne was to be believed, and Ranma trusted her in matters like that, nothing bad would come of it. More the contrary, if he did it right, a lot of good could come from it. And he vowed that he would.

**  
**Kasumi on the other hand had hearts in her eyes. After all, _which_ girl could claim that their boyfriend was as powerful (or even more) as a god? Once more pleased with her catch (not only for that reason, of course) Kasumi snuggled back into Ranma's chest.

**  
**The three remained seated around the campfire for quite some time and talked about all the world and his brother until they finally called it a night. Next morning the three got up early and dismantled their tents. Minutes later their backpacks were packed and shouldered. Cologne then handed the improved waterproof soap to Ranma, who stored it into his personal stuff-space.

**  
**Said stuff-space had increased dramatically due to his better mastering of the hidden weapons technique, a skill he had picked up from Mousse, and which had been refined now by Cologne. It was not enough to carry as many weapons as Mousse could, but Ranma had never intended it to be. The cursed martial artist was satisfied that he could now store more than just a bonbori (which he had snatched one time from Shampoo) and a spiked club (which he had snatched from Kodachi when the loon had once more attacked her).

**  
**Cologne also gave Ranma some scrolls she had taken with her from the Nekohanten. Knowing that Ranma would need all the advantages the cursed individual could get considering his/her chaotic life, she had made copies of some scrolls which would come in handy. She had even translated them into Japanese, and the Elder was very sure that Ranma would be able to learn those techniques just by him/herself. "I have the suspicion that you might need those techniques in the future, Ranma. Learn them well."

**  
**Ranma grinned in answer as he browsed through the scrolls. Nice, very nice. Cologne was right, those could be of great use for him in the future. "Thank you, Cologne. I admit that I learned a lot, and it actually made fun. Ya can be quite cool if ya wanta, ya know that?" he said with a smirk.

**  
**The Elder looked indignant for a moment, but it was easy to tell that it was faked. "An Amazon Elder is not 'cool'. That would not be dignified." she said in a mock-earnest tone. "But this one has to admit, it was nice teaching the two of you. I will stay in Nerima until you have returned and keep an eye on things."

**  
**Both cursed individuals nodded. It was good to know that Nerima was in good hands, even though it was very unexpected that those hands would be Colognes'. A few days ago they'd have anyone, who had told them that, hopelessly insane. But things changed.

**  
**Kasumi gave in to her feelings and actually hugged Cologne. The Elder was surprised for a moment, but then her tiny arms returned the hug. "It was a pleasure to be taught by you, Elder. I want to thank you for it, and everything you did for us. Ra-kun is right, you are 'cool'." she said with a smile.

**  
**This time the Elder didn't protest, rather she returned the smile. "It was this ones pleasure too, Tendo Kasumi. Ranma, take good care of her. I wish you good luck, you two. Know that I am confident that you'll both find what you seek. And don't do anything I wouldn't do!" the old woman said cackling.

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi face-faulted. Hard. Trust the old ghoul to say something like that. After they had gathered their bearings again they thanked Cologne, but the old Matriarch had one more thing to say. "Ranma, take this card. I'll need to know where I should send the waterproof soap to. With the supply you have now you will last one month. On this card is my e-mail-address, so it would be best if you could get access to a computer with internet access. And have no worries, no one beside me reads my e-mail."

**  
**Now both cursed martial artists were baffled. "You... you have an e-mail address?" asked Ranma incredulous as he took the card, which he pocketed in his wallet, which then disappeared into his stuff space again. He could read it later.

**  
**Cologne cackled. "What did you think, Ranma? This is the 21st century after all! Now good luck!"

**  
**After Ranma and Kasumi had recovered from the supreme face-fault, they gathered their bearings and hit the road. It had now been one week since they had left Nerima, and both asked themselves what had happened there in the meantime. Not that they did not enjoy their break from the craziness there, and the time they had spent together had been great, but to be honest, miss Nerima they did. But these thoughts were pushed aside as their new destination was now the Masaki house.

**  
**¹ means anger enhancing poison.

**  
to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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**  
**


	13. Interlude: Nerima Part 1

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 13**

**  
Interlude: Nerima Part 1**

**  
**It was the day after Kasumi and Ranma had hit the road for their trip to find themselves. A Sunday to be exact. Soun Tendo knew nothing of it. Not yet. All he knew, was that he had a hangover that was world-class. And all that thanks to his friend Genma, who could not bear feminine topics like a period, and had to get drunk like he had not been ever since they had celebrated the incarceration of the master. And par for the course, Genma had dragged him down the path too.

**  
**Admittedly, he had been extremely lucky, that Kasumi had given Nabiki and Akane the 'talk' when they had started their respective times, but that was beside the point. Genma would have to accept the fact, that he had a part-time daughter now and forever, or the Saotome females would lose their patience with him. And considering especially Ranmas' power and strength, not much would remain of his old friend, should Ranma lose his/her patience with his old friend and blow his/her top.

**  
**That Kasumi had been cursed to become a male, and everything else that had happened in the adjacent time, had opened Soun's eyes to the idea, that he would from now on always have a part-time son. And as he had come to know Ranma's curse in the past year more than well enough, he knew, that Kasumi would be his son at least for half of the time.

**  
**Which also meant, that he would, should Ranma ever marry Kasumi, have a daughter-in-law as well as a son-in-law. What Cologne had said had sealed it, and he himself had now accepted, that Ranma as well as his Kasumi would always be cursed to become the opposite gender. But honestly, now that they had matching curses, where was the problem with it?

**  
**Only Genma was dead-set against the concept, and even when he had tried to convince him, that the matching curses could be an advantage for Ranma in Kasumi (and by proxy for them), because their children now had more common ground, his old friend had refused to accept it. Genma had wanted to hear nothing of it, and had gotten himself even more drunk. He could not really understand his old friend. What was so bad about having a daughter instead of a son for half of the time? He himself had three daughters, and he was doing just fine.

**  
**Okay, it was nice, that one of his most secret wishes had come true, for he had always wished for a son. And now, due to the curse, he had gotten one. So accepting it was somewhat easier for him, but honestly, Genma had had over a year now to accept Ranma's curse. Soun shook his head, but stopped that at once when he noticed that it was not an advisable action at the moment. **'Genma, Genma, Genma, old friend...' **he thought,** 'when will you stop being such a woman hating idiot?'**

**  
**Sighing, Soun got out of the bed and staggered towards the door. What he needed now was a coffee. Black. Not his usual Darjeeling tea he drank else. And luckily for his poor, abused head, Kasumi kept an extra supply of _strong_ coffee for cases like this.

**  
**Ah, his sweet daughter Kasumi. What would the household be without her? Little did Soun know, that he would find out soon. But ignorant to all what had transpired the day before after Genma had fled the house with him in tow, Soun staggered into the bathroom to freshen up somewhat.

**  
**Ten minutes later Soun emerged from the bathroom, fully clothed and somewhat fresher. Then he sniffed the air. **'Ahh, Kasumi is as perceptive as ever. The coffee is already prepared. Good, daughter.' **he thought as he walked down the stairs. He would have smiled at his daughters' thoughtfulness, but that hurt his poor, abused head too much at the moment.

**  
**"Good morning, Kasumi." he said automatically upon arriving in the kitchen, until reality registered itself in Soun's mind. Who was standing at the stove, currently preparing breakfast, was _not_ Kasumi!

**  
**"Good morning to you too, Soun. And no, I am not Kasumi. Sit down and I'll get you a coffee. You look like you need a strong one." Nodoka said with a smile.

**  
**Soun stood there flabbergasted, gaping like a fish out of water for a minute or so. Nodoka found this highly amusing, poured him a cup of coffee in the meantime, and held it under Soun's nose, which revived him. '**Good, I thought he was broke.' **Nodoka thought amused.

**  
**Finally doing as Nodoka had suggested, Soun slumped down into his usual chair. After he had sipped his hot coffee, which had jump-started his brain somewhat, Soun looked at Nodoka questioningly. "Nodoka, what are _you_ doing in the kitchen? I mean... aside from preparing breakfast? You are a guest, Nodoka. Guests don't prepare breakfast. Where is Kasumi?"

**  
**Suddenly a yell could be heard from upstairs. "Where the heck is that worthless son of mine!"

**  
**The Tendo patriarch looked irritated, while Nodoka smirked. So, her dear husband had found out that Ranma was not there, had he? It was too too bad for Genma, as Shampoo would say, that he could not launch their child into the Koi-pond, like usual. That had apparently been one of the most favourite sports of Genma: to annoy their child. She vowed that she would put a stop to this, when Ranma and Kasumi returned.

**  
**But maybe she would not even need to do so. Ever since their talk, Nodoka knew that Ranma would not put up with any more shit from his/her father. She could relate very well to that. And_ that_ she could relate to very good. She herself was still busy untangling all the messes her dear husband had created. And due to the fact, that Genma still refused to raise a single finger to undo it by himself, she was _very_ upset with him. For that left _her_ to deal with what Genma had done, and the more she learned of his behaviour, the more her ire grew.

**  
**Seconds later the object of her ire came stomping down the stairs, probably waking up the whole house in the process. Which would surely irritate those who wished to sleep in on this Sunday, especially as it was still one hour until breakfast would normally be served.

**  
**In this case it might be a good thing, however. Nodoka would love to have the sharp tongued Nabiki to aid her when she told them what had happened after the men had left to get drunk. But first she'd have to call her husband to order. "Husband, don't make such a racket. I will explain everything when everyone has come down. Which will obviously be soon due to the great hullabaloo you made. Now sit down and drink your coffee." she commanded with steel in her voice.

**  
**Genma ducked his head. He knew this tone of voice all too well. Any resistance on his part was utterly futile. "Yes, dear." he answered meekly.

**  
**And thus, one part-time Panda and the Tendo patriarch sat there, sipping their coffees and wondering, what on Earth had happened now. Why was _Nodoka_ preparing breakfast? And where was Ranma? And Kasumi had not been seen either. Were these facts connected? And if so, what did it mean? Questions upon questions, but sadly no answers.

**  
**Shrugging, the Tendo patriarch reached for the newspaper and busied himself with it. It seemed, that he would get the answers later. Meanwhile, the sometimes-panda continued to brood on where his worthless son was. What had the idiot boy done now? Alas, he was nothing but trouble.

**  
**Ten minutes later, a still very sleepy looking, but already fully clothed Nabiki came walking down the stairs, looking somewhat like a zombie. With a muttered "Coffee, must have coffee." the middle Tendo daughter reached for a cup and filled it with the hot liquid.

**  
**Then she sat down in her usual spot, and began sipping her coffee, which gradually woke her up. Once her brain had reached working temperature, she began to assess the situation. **'Hmm, 'uncle' Genma is brooding, he obviously found out that Ranma is not here. His yelling was a dead give away in that regard and could have woken the dead. Daddy seems to be unconcerned at the moment, as he probably knows he will get the answers later. And Nodoka seems to have everything under control. Good. Now only baby-sis has to come down and the party can start.'** she thought with a smirk.

**  
**Nodoka nodded to Nabiki impalpably, and the Ice-queen nodded back the same way. Then Nodoka looked at Soun. "Soun, could you call down Akane, so we can tell you and her, what has transpired yesterday after you left?" she asked.

**  
**The Tendo Patriarch looked up from his newspaper and nodded. Finally he would get some answers. **"AKANE! COME DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"** he bellowed, using his demon-head technique to amplify his voice. Silently he muttered to himself. He'd have to have a good talk with her later.

**  
**At the same time Nodoka prepared a cup of tea for the youngest Tendo daughter, and made sure to add the strongest batch of calming herbs Kasumi had available. The oldest Tendo child had explained to her, that measures had to be taken to calm the temper of her youngest sister, until their father decided to get Akane professional help. But until that time, they would have to do what was possible with the means they had at hand. Thus Nodoka prepared the tea, and set it onto the spot where Akane usually sat.

**  
**If the youngest Tendo daughter had not been awake already, she would be awake now. And really, five minutes later shuffling steps could be heard from the stairs, and half a minute later a very grumpy looking Akane appeared. "What did you wake me up for so early? It better be good!"

**  
**Soun's face reddened. "If you have still not understood, daughter, the time of your tantrums is over! For good! I have been far too lenient with you, but that will not be repeated. **NOW SIT DOWN!"** he said, using the demon-head for the last three words.

**  
**Instantly Akane obeyed, with not a little fear on her face. Apparently daddy was really taking the kids gloves off. Damn! This was all Ranma's fault! Sulking, she stared ahead and grabbed the cup of tea that stood before her to warm herself up. After all, she had had to leave the warmness of her bed much too early for her taste, and that she was sitting here now instead of lying in her warm, comfy bed, was all Ranma's fault. Should he show his face here any time soon she'd show him!

**  
**Nabiki could only shake her head at Akane's behaviour. Had her little sister still not comprehended what she had done? Obviously not, for she was still acting like a spoiled princess. Well, it was high time to take her down from her 'throne'. And she'd be glad to have a hand in it. Her little sis had always been the spoiled brat, who had gotten everything she wanted for far too long, and that she had always destroyed things that she, Nabiki, had to pay for in the end, and ended up scott free to boot, had incensed her for a long time. And now that daddy had realised that, it was definite time to change some things here.

**  
**Nodoka looked into the round and began. "I'll get right to the point. After what happened yesterday," she said, and looked meaningful and with a stern glare at Akane, who glowered right back, "and after you two left to get drunk, we," she pointed at Nabiki, "and Cologne decided upon a plan to help Ranma and Kasumi to get used to their curses. To this end it was decided, that those two had to leave on a training trip. They will live in their alternate forms to get used to them. For approximately three to four months, maybe even longer. To this end, I will withdraw Ranma tomorrow from Furinkan High."

**  
**"WHAT!" Genma and Soun bellowed instantly and in stereo.

**  
**It was Soun who regained his breath first again. "How could you let my precious baby leave on a training trip? And for three to four months? Living as a boy? WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" he exclaimed, waterworks fully engaged.

**  
**Genma was red-faced. "You _really_ went through with this idiotic idea, that Ranma has to get used to being a girl and should therefore live as one? I can't believe it! My son is living as a weak, worthless girl! The shame!"

**  
**Now Nodoka had really lost her patience with the attitude of her husband, and for the first time since long she produced a battle aura. And it was _very_ impressive. Nabiki nearly whistled, and her father looked somewhat shocked at the power she exuded. The middle Tendo daughter could not sense power-levels, but she felt that that was a lot of power.

**  
**Akane, who had been sitting opposite Nodoka, slowly edged backwards, for she could have sworn she had seen fire flash in Nodoka's eyes. A second later a now well-known sound echoed through the house. SHING. "Husband, I really have had enough of your idiotic misogynistic tendencies. I have put up with them for long enough! Do you want a demonstration how 'weak' _I_ am, or are you going to behave from now on? For if you are not, I would be more than glad to repeat the performance of our daughter. And you_ know_ I can. So chose wisely!"

**  
**The misogynistic idiot, who had at this moment a very sharp katana pressed against his neck by his very irate and angry wife, could only gulp. He knew, that Nodoka would carry out her threat, and he also knew, that she was sadly (for him) _more_ than strong enough to do so. She seldom displayed her true strength, and _if_ she did, it meant that she was truly and utterly pissed.

**  
**Even Akane had blanched at Nodoka's words and her display of power. She always had thought Ranma's mother to be a push-over without her sword, but now she knew, that she could not have been farther away from the truth. The youngest Tendo daughter could not read auras as good as Ranma, far from it, but even she sensed that Nodoka was_ really _strong! No, Nodoka was not someone, whose ire you wanted to raise, that she realised now.

**  
**Slowly it dawned on her, that Ranma had not inherited his skills and power from Genma, but from his mother. She shuddered as she remembered, that she had insulted Nodoka yesterday, and tried to make herself tiny and unnoticeable. Compared to this woman she was really untrained.

**  
**Meanwhile Nodoka was getting impatient. "Now, husband? _Do_ you need a repeat performance to freshen up your memory?"

**  
**Genma had blanched even further. No, last time had been more than enough! "No, No-chan. There... there will be no need."

**  
**Nodoka smiled sweetly as she removed the katana from her husbands neck. "See, that wasn't so hard now, was it? But if I hear one, only one deprecatory comment about females, be it about women in general or our daughter in special, I _will _give you a repeat performance. Gladly. Have you understood?"

**  
**Genma nodded vigorously. Then he suddenly scampered to the sink, and got himself a glass of cold water, which he promptly upended over his head. # _I am just a cute panda._ # Flip. # _Give me some bamboo._ #

**  
**No one was amused by that, and not only Nabiki shook her head at the display. Pathetic. Getting her thoughts back to what had happened just a few moments ago, Nabiki mused to herself, that she would really like to know, what Nodoka had meant by 'repeat performance'. She looked at her father, but even he seemed to be clueless. Which was odd. Hmm, maybe she would find out later.

**  
**Meanwhile Nodoka coughed to get everyone's attention, and even Akane made an effort to listen. "As I said before I was interrupted, Ranma and Kasumi are presently on a training trip. They hit the road yesterday evening, and will travel to a destination unknown to us. There they plan to stay for at least three to four months. In their cursed forms, to get used to their alternate bodies. Both of them must come to terms with the fact, that they are now both, both man and woman. We made this decision," she paused for a moment, "so that they would be undisturbed. What with Ranma's suitors and all the craziness in Nerima it would never have worked."

**  
**"WAAAAAAAAHHH! My baby girl is going to live as a boy! WAAAAAAAHHH!" the Tendo patriarch wailed.

**  
**"Soun!" Nodoka bellowed, "Get a grip on yourself! Would you have liked it better, if she had hid in the house until she had become old and grey, only to avoid changing forms?"

**  
**Nabiki interrupted, before her father could answer, for she _knew_ the answer, and it made her angry. "No, don't answer the question, dad. You _must_ understand one thing: it was _high time_, that Kasumi left this house to see the world on her own. To make experiences. Ever since after highschool she has been _trapped_ in this house, and she has constantly catered to our every wishes. Over time we got used to it and took it as normal, that Kasumi was _always_ in the house except for the shopping. And why not? She never protested, ne?"

**  
**Soun wanted to say something, but Nabiki raised her index finger and interrupted him. "No, I'm not finished. Kasumi was practically our _slave_, dad. She never could live out _her_ dreams and hopes, for she always had to care for us and our needs, while we, all of us, lived out our lives to the fullest, while she could only watch. We did nothing in the household, nothing to help her at all, and it shames me. We have all been too selfish to see, that Kasumi was literally trapped in the chains of this household. To take care of us she had practically given up her life! You know what, dad? The curse _freed_ her, for it enabled her to break out. And don't expect her to return and take over the household again as if nothing had happened. For now you also have a son, and I doubt that Yoshiro will be chained down."

**  
**Soun had grown increasingly paler throughout Nabiki's speech. **'Oh my Kami-sama, she is right!' **had been the thoughts of the Tendo patriarch, as he had truly realised for the first time, what they had done to Kasumi. They _had_ neverlifted a finger to help Kasumi, although that would have also been their duty, like in any other normal household.

**  
**They _had_ really lived like nothing had happened after Kimiko´s death, and had Kasumi let take her mothers' place as a housewife with all the duties and responsibilities, and that on cost of Kasumi's life. Shamefacedly Soun bowed his head. "You are right, daughter. How we, and especially _I _treated Kasumi, is inexcusable. I never saw it before, but as you said, Nabiki, we had gotten used to it because she never protested. I can now accept, that this training trip is a good idea, and who knows, maybe I will get real a son out of it. But who is this Yoshiro?" he asked.

**  
**Nabiki smirked satisfied. It was good, that she had been able to bring the point home, although she had expected more resistance. But who cared, an easy victory was a victory after all. "I bet you didn't know, that there is a bureau dealing with Jusenkyo victims, eh, dad?" she asked, and at seeing Soun's astonished look at his daughter and then Genma-panda's inquiring sign (which was ignored) she continued. "Well, there is one, and they deal with Jusenkyo victims, and how to integrate the alternate forms of cursed victims with a gender-changing curse into society. After all, a cursed victim could decide to live as the opposite gender for the rest of his or her life. Thus, this agency provides ID-cards for victims of the Nyannichuan, the Nannichuan and the other gender and personality changing springs. I contacted them, and had let them construct the identities of Ránmā Saotome and Yoshiro Tendo. Plus adapted and official maintenance histories for school and college. Cool, ne?"

**  
**The Tendo patriarch was more than baffled, as was Akane. Said Tendo daughter boiled. "WHAT! The pervert is living as a girl for three months or longer? As a _girl_? How dare he! He's not even a _real_ girl!" she yelled.

**  
**Nodoka glowered again, but it was Nabiki who put her foot down. "Little sis," she said in an icy tone that chilled the whole room, "that is enough! You constantly accused and still accuse Ranma of being a pervert. Why? It was _you_, who walked in on _him_ in the furo when he had arrived here. It was _you_,who walked in on _him_ again a few days ago and all the other times. It is _you_, who has a collection of porn-mags hidden under your bed. And don't bother to dispose of them, I've got photos. Why? Why do you always accuse Ranma of being a pervert? Not that it matters any more, for you have blown all chances with him, but I would like to know. Why are you so angry at Ranma? Feed my curiosity."

**  
**Akane only glowered defiantly at her older sister. "He **is **a pervert, because he always has one girl or the other hanging off of him! And I know, that he is doing perverted things with them! Then there is, that he has a female body! Untold, what he could have done to the poor girls body and probably has! He is the biggest pervert ever, and sure as hell no girl!"

**  
**Nabiki could only smack her head, while Nodoka visibly bristled at these immature and unfounded accusations. "Do you really _believe_ all this bullshit, sis? For if so, it is for the best that you did not marry Ranma. First, as for the girls hanging off of him, and I know you mean Shampoo, have you never noticed how much he _hates_ it when she glomps him? He's not squirming because he enjoys it, but because he is uncomfortable! I saw it yesterday really clearly for the first time. He _hates_ it."

**  
**Her sister still glowered. "If he hates it so much, why does he not break free? Can't be so hard, after all, he is the 'best' martial artist there is, as he always boasts."

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter sighed, and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'green' and 'envy' before she answered. "Do you know, _where_ he would have to push Shampoo if he wanted to break free? I'll give you a hint. There is only one way. Can you guess?" she asked, but her sister shook her head. Nabiki then pointed at her own chest. "He could only push her here, directly at her boobs. But what you didn't know, is that if he would have done so, he could have said bai-bai to Japan."

**  
**Now Nodoka was curious. And she was not the only one. "What do you mean, Nabiki?"

**  
**Nabiki grimaced. "It is something I found out about the Amazons and their customs when I got my hands on one of their rulebooks per chance. Shampoo had lost one of hers one time she had delivered ramen here, and I snatched it without her noticing it. If a male, who is regarded as an Airen by an Amazon warrior, but who has not consummated the relationship with her, touches the Amazon warrior at her boobs, then that means his total submission towards the Amazon and her claim, as it displays his will to consummate the relationship by initiating intimate contact. You see, if Ranma _had _pushed her in the chest to free himself, he would now be an Amazon. For I am sure, that Cologne would have set lose all hell to get him into the tribe had he done that."

**  
**Nodoka had blanched. "Oh my, that could have ended badly. Good thing, that this matter is dealt with."

**  
**Soun and the Panda looked at her. Genma actually went to the sink, and managed to grab the kettle with hot water, with which he restored himself to human form. "What do you mean by this, No-chan?" he asked.

**  
**Nabiki waved it off. "Later. Let's only say the Amazon problem is dealt with permanently and satisfyingly, and let me continue what I was saying." Nabiki interrupted. "So you see, sis, had he done this, it would have been bad for him. Very much so. But nice as I am, I sold this information to him. For a reasonable fee. Now Ranma knew he had no other choice but to either avoid her glomp, which was not always possible due to the speed of hers when on her bike, or to get clobbered by you to get out of the glomp. Do you _still_ think he was enjoying this? Oh, and as for Ukyo, he said repeatedly to her, that he sees her as a friend, and _only_ as a friend. And I have plenty recordings and other evidence of it. I can assure you, that he only treated her as a friend, and nothing else. And you would have noticed it too, had your mind not been so clouded by anger and hate."

**  
**Now Akane sputtered. "But... but I don't hate him! I loved him! I _still_ do…" she exclaimed.

**  
**Nodoka and Nabiki snorted in stereo. "What a fine way of showing him that you had, sis. With a mallet to the head. With food, that would have killed a lesser person. With constant insults. Do you know, that I witnessed the one time, when you said that he was a pervert, and perverts could never be trusted?"

**  
**Akane shook her head and Nabiki continued. "I could see his face, Akane. Your words had hurt him more deeply than you could have ever managed with your mallet. At this moment, you broke his heart. Because what you did not consider, sis, is that a relationship is _nothing_ without trust. And as you said yourself, you never trusted Ranma. Therefore, any relationship between the two of you was doomed. And it was sure as hell not Ranma's fault!"

**  
**Akane glowered at her older sister, then she looked at her father. "Dad, how can you let Nabiki talk like that to me? I have done nothing wrong! It was all the perverts fault! Had he not made me so angry all the time, nothing would have happened! I may love him, but he has no right to make me so angry!"

**  
**Instead of getting the support she expected to get from her father, she only got a shake of the head from Soun. He had shielded Akane from living up to her actions for far too long. "My little Akane, you have to realise, that the engagement between you and Ranma is off. For good. And Nabiki has every right to tell you how it is. I closed my eyes for far too long from reality, my child. I have been lenient with you, and I have spoiled you, and it didn't do you any good. I am sorry, that I haven't given you the support you would have needed, but that will change. However, I believe that your sister was not quite finished yet. If you want, Nabiki…" the Tendo patriarch said. He really liked, how his middle daughter was handling the situation, and he doubted, that he could have done a better job.

**  
**Nabiki nodded. "Thanks, dad. Little sis, despite all that you had done to him, he still tried to make it work, and gave you _one more chance_. Did you know, that he swore an oath on his honour as a martial artist, that he would give you one more month to make it work, despite how you had treated him? Heck, had it been me who had been treated so, I would probably have killed you. You treated him worse, than one would treat a blood enemy! But despite that, he didn't give up on you. And we all know, how his generosity turned out. As for Ranma being a pervert because he has a girls body, let me tell you something. Akane, Ranma never had the 'talk'! Neither he nor she had an even an inkling of knowledge regarding sexuality, so all your harping about perversity is the biggest joke ever! Ranma is as innocent as they come, in both forms! But did you ever care to ask Ranma if he knew anything about it?"

**  
**Akane sputtered, but no answer came forth. Nodoka looked proudly at Nabiki. She could not have said or done it better, and it seemed, as if her child would get at least one nice sister-in-law. Although she still hoped for Akane. Taking a deep breath, Nabiki continued her assault, determined to bring down the walls of delusions Akane had built around her for good. "The answer is: no, you didn't! You always assumed the worst of Ranma, regardless the situation. And all your harping about the perversities he or she supposedly committed surely did not help Ranma, to develop any sexuality in either form. I only hope, he or she never sues us because of what you did, for Ranma's chances to win would be more than good! What you must understand, sister dear, is that not what someone _is_ makes them perverted, but their _actions_. And Ranma did never act like a pervert. For it were the other girls, who constantly threw themselves at Ranma, not the other way around, sis."

**  
**Akane nearly cried as her world-view came tumbling down around her. "But... but he made me so _angry_!" she yelled.

**  
**Soun sighed. "I know I have made a lot of mistakes with you, my little Akane, but you should have talked to Ranma about what it was, that made you so angry. I myself am as much to blame as you, for had not Genma and I pushed you two together at each and any occasion, it might have gone differently. And I should never have allowed you to hit Ranma. Hitting people does not solve problems, daughter, it creates them. I am shamed to admit, that I let you treat Ranma, a guest and potential son-in-law, really worse than a blood enemy. From now on you will receive therapy with a good shrink to get your temper under control, and don't you dare oppose me. The weak man you knew is gone. From now on I will be your father again, and I'll act upon my responsibilities, even if this means walking down the hard way."

**  
**The youngest Tendo daughter was about to sputter, that everything was Ranma's fault, while the others, except Genma, who saw the danger, that Soun would not be as easy to manipulate as in the past, were extremely proud of Soun. It really seemed, that the man Nodoka had known before Kimiko's death was slowly coming back. And also the middle Tendo daughter was very glad, that her father was back after all this time. She had really missed him, and the empty shell he had been had been hardly more than a shadow of the father he had been. Only Akane seemed to be confused by the sudden resistance and backbone of her father.

**  
**Nodoka nodded towards Soun with a smile. "Good to hear that, Soun. The path of a true martial artist is not the easy or the convenient one, but the path, which is occasionally fraught with peril and hardships. But it is the only one, the just one, and only this path allows us to keep our honour. I'm pleased to see, that you rediscovered it, and hope, that my dear husband will come around too." she said. **'Although I doubt it.'** she added as a thought.

**  
**Soun nodded and bowed. "Thank you, Nodoka. What happened to Kasumi made me realise, that I can't afford to stay weak any more. I will start to train once again, and once I deem myself ready, I will start teaching in the Dojo again. This is what Kimiko would have wanted, that I realise now. Although it saddens me, that my grief blinded me for so long. But this is over and done with!" he exclaimed with conviction.

**  
**Both Tendo childs' were awed by the change in their father, and especially Nabiki was nearly ecstatic. Maybe their father would finally, finally help to support the household! She barely dared to hope, but his comment about teaching in the Dojo once more was more than a silver lining. That would take a lot of weight from her shoulders, and maybe she could start to implement something she had wanted for a long time now: her retirement from the money-grabber business.

**  
**Meanwhile Nodoka looked questioningly at Akane. "Akane, my child treated you better and better during the last three months, ever since Kasumi began to tutor him. I can attest to that he did not insult you if he could prevent it, and he even tried your cooking. And despite that you treated him worse than garbage. You even hit him when he was recuperating from one of your malletings in Kasumi's bedroom. Why, Akane? What did my child do to deserve this much anger and hate?"

**  
**The youngest Tendo had her face to the ground and was now crying. "I don't... hate him. I never did. But what he did... at Jusendo... I had died, _really_ died. And I was... with mom. All was so peaceful and nice, and I never... wanted to go _back_. Then... I heard Ranma yell my name... and suddenly I was... ripped away from mom. I... didn't _want _to go back. I wanted to... stay with her. That is, why I am so angry with Ranma. He brought me back." she sobbed.

**  
**Everyone was extremely surprised, for no one had expected _this _explanation. Finally Soun got up and embraced his daughter in a hug, for Nabiki was still stunned. Soun was still angry at his daughter for what she had done, and she would still get punished, but right now she needed comfort, not punishment. "Sshh... its okay, my little pumpkin. It's okay..." he soothed the still crying girl.

**  
**Nodoka felt for the girl. That explained her actions and behaviour somewhat and it also explained why it had become so much worse after Jusendo, but it still did not justify the behaviour of Akane. No, the engagement was off for good and it would remain this way.

**  
**And she better drove this point home before her husband had another brilliant idea. "Akane, though I can understand you now somewhat better, this still does not justify your behaviour towards my child. At Jusendo Ranma showed you, how much he loved you by even bringing you back from the dead. Of course, it must have been a shock, to be ripped away from Kimiko, but have you stopped to think, that it might not have been your time to die? Else you _would_ not have come back. You know now, that your mother is waiting for you in heaven, but you have still your whole life to live. Sadly without my child, Akane. I am afraid, that your behaviour towards him killed any love he had for you, and the engagement is and will be off for good. I am sad, that it did not work out. But apparently it is for the better this way."

**  
**Akane was send into another fresh bout of tears over this. Finally, reality settled down upon her. She had_ really_ driven Ranma away _for good_. And she _had not_ stopped to think, that it might not have been her time to die. All reason had been clouded by her anger and temper at having been ripped away from her mother by Ranma. And this had led to her unthinking actions against her iinazuke. Which had led to this situation. **'Ex-iinazuke. It is _really_ over. And it's all _my_ fault!' **she thought, and cried bitterly. She had really loved him, but Nodoka's words had made it clear to her, that _she _had been the one who had destroyed this love. Not Shampoo, not Ukyo, not Kodachi. She. And she would have to live with it for the rest of her life.

**  
**Slowly she walked upstairs towards her room, where she lay down on her bed. Reality slowly began to sink in. Ranma was no pervert, and had never been one. He had really loved her, but she had killed those feelings through her own words and actions. She. Nobody else. Silently Akane Tendo cried into her pillow.

**  
**Later, after everything had settled down and breakfast had been consumed Nabiki had told them of Cologne's decision and its consequences. She also admonished them, to keep it an absolute secret, as Shampoo did not know about it, and was not to know. After a happy celebration, the men and Akane, who had also been happy, that the Amazons were out of their hair (even if it was of no use to her any more), agreed to keep it secret.

**  
**Now Genma was on top again. Finally, the thing with the stupid Amazons had been resolved. All that remained to be done so that he could enjoy his retirement and live off from the sweat and hard work of his son and future wife was the removal of the other engagement. But there would be a way, he was sure. No-chan and Nabiki just had to look hard enough. With the Amazons out of the way, there was really no reason for his manly son to remain a silly and weak girl, was there?

**  
**True to form Genma voiced these thoughts, apparently ignorant of the fact, that Nodoka had already decided upon the issue. "Nodoka, I demand that you end this charade. As head of the Clan Saotome, I forbid that my child has to live as a weak and useless girl. I did not raise my child to be a weak girl, but a man among men! He will be the heir to my school one time, when I have made him a master! So find a way to contact our son, and call this stupid and useless charade off! My son is no dishonourable girl…" he trailed off and watched his wife. "No-chan?" he asked carefully.

**  
**Watching Nodoka while Genma talked, was like watching how a volcano erupted. First she began to shake in rage, and the others could have sworn, that the earth was shaking too. Then steam seemed to shoot from her nostrils and ears, and her face had gone purple with rage. And then mount Nodoka exploded. "How dare you call my daughter a weak and worthless girl! Haven't you understood a word we said? I promised to give you a repeat performance, should you fall back into your misogynistic tendencies, and you know what? You just earned yourself one!"

**  
**Genma backed away and began to stutter. His misogynistic mind caught on to the fact, that he might have overdone it a bit. But he was right! Their strong and manly son could not live as a weak, honourless and silly little girl! That was not, what he had formed his son into! So why was Nodoka so angry at him? Damn, one could think that Nodoka even loved the despiseable girl-side of their son.

**  
**One look at his wife told him, that his life-expectancy was running rather short. And the gleam in Nodokas eyes told him, that whatever Nodoka had in mind for him would be rather painful. In all honesty, he had never seen Nodoka so pissed, and he had all reason to think, that he was a dead man. Funny, for Nodoka thought the same thing. "Husband," she said in a scary and cold voice, which promised untold volumes of pain, "Follow me into the Dojo. It is time, that I reeducate you on your conviction concerning women, including our daughter." Then she turned towards Soun and Nabiki. "You two better stay here, for this might get ugly." she said with something akin to barely suppressed glee.

**  
**The Saotome patriarch gulped, while he was led towards the Dojo by the ear. He did not even think to attempt the crouch of the wild tiger or use the Umi-senken. When Nodoka was like this, she was unstoppable. With a sigh he admitted himself to fate, while Nabiki snickered in a gleeful way, and Soun shook his head at the stupidity of his friend.

**  
**Soon loud noises emerged from the Dojo, among them a very frequent "Itte!" from Genma, swishing sounds, and yelps of pain, which were followed by the occasional order "to face his punishment like the man you pretend to be!". Yes, one could hear, that Nodoka was having fun in reeducating Genma…

**  
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**  
**It took Genma till the late evening, before he had recovered enough to drag himself out of the guest room to show his face downstairs. Nodoka instantly glared at him, and fingered her Katana. Genma, who was covered in thick, obviously self-applied bandages that enveloped him from head to toe, gulped and sat down a good distance away.

**  
**Nabiki was suppressing her giggles with medium success, and instantly had the creative idea, to accidentally spill some of her water on the 'mummy'. It surely would be fun to watch, how those bandages ensnared the big oaf of a panda. Obviously Nodoka had had the same idea, for as Genma passed by his wife in a slow hobble, she accidentally knocked her own glass of water over, and that it spilled over his feet was enough to trigger the change.

**  
**The immediate result was an instant panda-mummy, and would anyone from a film-crew have seen Genma as a panda-mummy, they would instantly have hired him for an omake. The panda himself found the situation anything but funny, as those stupid tight bandages made it difficult for him to breathe. Finally, when the panda started turning blue, Soun took some pity on his old friend, and restored him to human form.

**  
**During the meal that followed one hour later, Genma tried his best to avoid cold liquids, and he mostly succeeded due to the fact, that he was sitting far away from Nodoka and Nabiki, who had both found great fun in spilling cold liquids on him. All purely accidentally, of course.

**  
**After the meal, Genma rubbed his fat belly and sighed. Silently he muttered something about "stupid katana-happy women", "worthless girls" in general and "how he was cursed with a weak and dishonourable son, and that after the good job he had done as a parent". Genma was apparently convinced, that he had muttered silently enough. To his eternally bad luck, both Nodoka and Nabiki had very good ears.

**  
**Nodoka was instantly incensed once more, and her conviction, that her husband needed obviously several repeat performances before the teachings of his master had been driven out, grew. She was just about to unsheathe her katana and throw a rage-fit, but surprisingly Nabiki beat her to it.

**  
**She knew everything about how Genma had 'raised' Ranma, and now she lost her temper with 'uncle'. Even her cool countenance could take so much. "You call the upbringing Ranma had actually raising a child? I'd call it permanent child abuse! How often did you sell Ranma when he was little? Countless times! One time even for some rice, two fish and pickles! And what would you know about honour anyway? Ranma is a thousand times more honourable than you, even when he's in girl-form! You and your attitude towards women in general, and towards Ranma when he's and she in special, you disgust me!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Nodoka was actually tempted to applaud Nabiki, but some of the feeling of duty she still felt towards her husband kept her from doing so. Thus she limited herself to a proud nod. Genma on the other hand, seemed to be taken aback. Slowly his head turned towards the Tendo patriarch. "Soun, how can you let your daughter talk like this towards an honoured guest? Doesn't she know any manners?"

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter steamed at this and was about to retort when Soun answered. "Why should I correct my daughter when she is right? I only realised it shortly, but Ranma has always acted honourable, regardless of the form. And while I myself may not have acted honourable in the past ten years, I have to admit, that she has a point. Which honourable parent sells their child for food, Genma? Not even our master would have stooped so low. And while I myself am not overly fond of the idea, that my Kasumi will spend three or more months away, and as a man to boot, I have to admit that it makes sense. How should those two get used to their curses in a place like Nerima? And how should that work with the constant danger of changing forms? I agree with Nodoka. It would be the best, if those two liked each other in both forms. And now behave like an honoured guest, and apologise to your wife and my daughter."

**  
**Nabiki smiled proudly at her father, and even Nodoka looked pleased by Soun's words, and she fingered her katana to emphasise the point, that they were waiting for an answer. Genma obviously struggled with the concept of a Soun who was not firmly on his side. How could that be? Had the whole world turned against him? "Nodoka, you wanted a manly son and I raised a manly son. That I had to go to some length in the name of the greater good is understandable. After all, the true martial artists' path is fraught with peril. So I had to sell Ranma a few times in order to keep us fed, and maybe I engaged him for food. So what? It was all in the name of training! I was the one, who made Ranma into what he is now! The very best martial artist there is! My son is the best fighter, and no weak and silly little girl! And I know nothing of the 'abuse' Nabiki spoke off. That is ridiculous!" he claimed. "Therefore I have nothing to apologise for!"

**  
**Mount Nodoka had begun to steam once more, and also Nabiki struggled visibly for control at being called a liar, even if 'uncle' had only implied it. The middle Tendo daughter forced herself into her Ice Queen persona once more, and seconds later a smirk crossed her features, as she remembered one trump card she had never played out until now.

**  
**But never before had she been so angry with the darn freeloader. "So you say that I am lying, is that it? You say, that you did not put your son through abuse, eh, 'uncle'?" she asked, and pronounced the last word, as if it tasted like the worst of Akane's cooking.

**  
**The Saotome patriarch nodded self-confidently. "I never put my son through any abuse. All that I did was for training purposes, and his path to the top was occasionally rocky. But my son always came out on top."

**  
**Nabiki's smirk grew. "Always, eh, 'uncle'? Hmm, let me think about it…" she said, and put her right hand to her chin while she displayed the classical portray of the thinker, "Actually, what about a certain training you put him through? When Ranma was six years old? Did he come out on top there and then?" she asked fake-pleasantly.

**  
**Now Genma began to sweat bullets. His No-chan still had no idea of the Neko-ken and the training involved. If she ever found out, his days were numbered! Thus he hasted forwards, and tried to press a hand over Nabiki's mouth to keep her from telling more, but his progress was suddenly blocked by something steely.

**  
**Nodoka had moved faster than anyone had seen, and her katana was already drawn. "Dearest, I have already enough reason to make a panda fur-rug out of you. If you so much as touch Nabiki, you will wish, that you had never been born. Now I want to hear, what she has to say while you stay put. Have I made myself clear?"

**  
**In face of the icy cold and steely glare of his wife and the very sharp steel in her hands, Genma could do nothing more but nod dumbly, well knowing that his day of judgement was approaching fast. Under the watchful eyes of the others, Genma did the sensible thing; at least in his opinion. He upended a glass of water over his head and became a panda.

**  
**A panda, who tried to look cute and innocent. Seemingly nobody had told Genma, that pandas with a character like his _never_ looked cute or innocent, but just plain stupid when they tried to do so. # _I am just a cute panda._ # Flip. # _Pandas are an endangered species._ # Flip. # _So don't hurt me, whatever she says!_ #

**  
**Grinning to herself in face of the fate that awaited Genma, Nabiki began to relate the story of the Neko-ken. During the tale Nodoka blanched progressively, and asked repeatedly "He did _that_ to my Ranma?", and when Nabiki had ended by describing the effects of the Neko-ken, Nodoka was more furious than ever.

**  
**Slowly, she stood up from the chair she had been sitting on during the tale, and this time it was positive that fire was gleaming in her eyes. Her katana seemed to achieve a life of its own as it weaved complex patterns through the air by a focused Nodoka. Her stare was solely fixated or her quivering husband. "So, dearest," she began in a cold tone, "you signed I shouldn't hurt you regardless what Nabiki had to say, hmm? Well, what do you have to say for yourself? I don't have to ask if this is the truth, for I trust Nabiki, and I know you. What was going on in that obviously limited mind of yours to put our child through this… torture?"

**  
**Genma sweated blood by now, and not even his panda-form managed to hide the signs of fear. # _B… but No-chan… _# he signed, but was interrupted by a growl from Nodoka.  
"Don't you No-chan me, neither now or ever. At the moment I am undecided, if I just kill you and be done with it, or if I torture you before. So explain yourself, so that I can decide on your punishment, dearest."

**  
**The panda did not like the choices presented to him, and really considered either employing the Saotome final technique or the crouch of the wild tiger. But the purpose of the latter was defeated by the fact, that he was currently a panda, and signing 'I am sorry!' repeatedly, while grovelling at her feet was not as impressive as in human form. But the cold stare of his furious wife had him rooted to the spot. Maybe if he was allowed to turn back…# _I will tell you. But first of all, let me change back._ #he signed.

**  
**Soun shook his head at his friends' antics. He was sure, that Genma would use the crouch of the wild tiger as soon as he was back in human form. But the Tendo patriarch figured, that Genma had forgotten one variable: Nodoka was not the master. The master could be begged for forgiveness, but Soun doubted, that it would work with Nodoka. She was far too furious at the moment, and, most important, Genma had done something really stupid to her child. And there's no fury worse than that of a mother.

**  
**Meanwhile Nabiki had heated water, and this simple act was a special treat for her. "Here 'uncle', for you only 5,000 yen. Fair price, isn't it?" she said with a smirk.

**  
**The pandafied Genma growfed and growled, but couldn't really say anything. # _Put it on my tab._ # he signed.

**  
**The smirk grew. "Your tab just expired. Either you pay me after you've turned back again, or you'll stay a panda. Deal?"

**  
**Panda-man gruffed, but didn't really have a choice in the matter. He needed to be human, for only in this form the crouch of the wild tiger would be convincing. And it had other plus-sides, for as a human, he could as well run faster _and_ he could use the Umi-senken.

**  
**Okay, the latter wouldn't be of much help against Nodoka, as he had come to know so painfully all those years ago, but those were advantages worth paying for. Also, he'd get the money back from his worthless son once the schools were united and he would be in control of the dojos finances. # _Deal._ # he signed.

**  
**Nabiki smirked once more. "And remember that I have witnesses, 'uncle'. No backing out of the deal, or you won't like the consequences. For example, I might be forced to tell auntie about a certain guidebook, and someone I know who could not read it. Comprende?"

**  
**The Panda sweated, then growfed. # _Agreed. No backing out._ #

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter savoured, what she was about to do now. After dealing with two curse-victims on a regular basis for over a year now, she knew that warm water was more than enough to restore them to birthform, but what was coming now Genma literally had coming. Nabiki took the kettle from the stove, and upended it over the Panda.

**  
**Seconds later a yelping Genma was jumping around the living room. "Hot! Hot! Hot! Itte!" he yelled, fanning himself with his hands, "Damn, it needn't be _that_ hot!" he exclaimed disgruntled.

**  
**Nabiki looked at Nodoka, and both women barely hid their smirks. That had indeed been part of a well-deserved punishment. After Genma had collected himself somewhat, Nabiki held out her hand. The Saotome patriarch grumbled and reached into his gi, from where he produced a sufficient amount of yen.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter made a sport of counting the money as slowly as possible. Finally she nodded satisfied. "Good, 'uncle'. See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" she asked with an amused smirk.

**  
**Genma grumbled something under his breath, but stopped instantly when he felt the steely gaze of his wife on him. "Now tell me what you were thinking, when you taught my child the Neko-ken, husband. And pray, that your explanation is to my liking."

**  
**The Saotome patriarch gulped. Then he sat down onto the couch, and sent a quick prayer to Kami-sama. Usually he was not into this funk, but maybe it helped? "Well, it all started when I got my hands on this training manual, which promised to make the user into a nearly unstoppable fighting machine. And as I wanted our son to be the very best there is, I taught it to him. Okay, the method was a bit rough, I admit that, but how should I have known, that the boy would go insane from it and would be deathly afraid of cats? I couldn't have known, No-chan, believe me!"

**  
**Nabiki snorted, and Nodoka looked at her. "Do you disagree, Nabiki?" she asked.

**  
**Said Nabiki nodded. "Most certainly, auntie." she said, well aware, that she'd probably deliver the last nail to Genma's coffin. But after what he had done to Ranma, he deserved it. "Had 'uncle' read the next side of the manual, he would have seen the big, fat warning that warned anyone who wanted to teach the technique of the Neko-ken, that the trainee would either die due to the procedure or become hopelessly insane." She took a deep breath, and meanwhile Nodoka gaze had turned from steely to hellfiery. "That Ranma has survived with his sanity intact is a miracle, auntie. But it is still very dangerous for Ranma to be around cats for a prolonged time, as this will trigger the state of the Neko-ken."

**  
**Nodoka turned a pair of fiery eyes on her husband. "IS THIS TRUE, GENMA?" she asked in a cold rage, which made Genma shake in fear like a leaf in the wind.

**  
**Genma had no other choice, thus he nodded meekly. "Yes. But the two sides of the manual were glued together, and I did not bother with them. And all in all, it isn't too bad. So the boy is afraid of cats. And? That does not make the boy less of a man."

**  
**His wife steamed. "Haven't you understood it yet, Genma? Ranma's manliness does not interest me anymore. The most important thing is the well-being and the happiness of my child, and you endangered it greatly. I honestly don 't know, what I'll do to you, Genma, but you can count on another private chat in the Dojo." While Genma gulped Nodoka turned to Nabiki. "Nabiki, is there anything else I should know about the Neko-ken?"

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter thought for a moment, then she nodded. "Well, 'uncle' actually succeeded, at least somewhat. As said, I have witnessed the Neko-ken, and Ranma slips into this state, when he or she is exposed to a cat for too long a time. Then Ranma turns into a cat in mind, and actually acts like a cat would. Only that this cat has three feet long ki-claws, which can cut through just about anything. Ranma is out of control in this state, and handles anything that he or she perceives as a threat accordingly. Because of the Neko-ken Ranma is a bomb whichs' fuse is constantly lit, and I dearly hope, that Ranma will find a way to either get rid of it, or to control it."

**  
**Nodoka had blanched throughout Nabiki's explanation. Once she had gathered her bearings again, she rounded in on her husband. "Genma, the Dojo! Now! And pray that I let you live to see the next day! I can't believe your stupidity, and it seems as if I have to force it out of you! Now move it!" she yelled into his face.

**  
**Genma had now the physical size of the metaphorical mouse, and was forced towards the Dojo with the Katana pressed into his back. The sounds that followed soon afterwards were a lot more intense than before, and Nabiki actually grimaced at a particularly loud scream of Genma.

**  
**Soun just shrugged. What had happened had been bound to happen sooner or later, but at least it looked as if Nodoka would let Genma live. Which was a good thing, for nobody else gave him a decent challenge at Go. Both Tendos ignored the sounds coming from the Dojo, as Nabiki read the part of the paper which interested her the most, namely the stock market, while Soun read the rest.

**  
**Suddenly particularly loud yelling could be heard, and Nabiki and Soun looked up. "FROM NOW ON YOU'RE EXEMPT FROM EACH AND ANY DECISION PERTAINING OUR CHILD! AND SHOULD OUR CHILD HAVE CHILDREN, WHICH I HOPE, THEN YOU WON'T HAVE A SAY IN THEIR UPBRINGING EITHER! YOU HAVE PROVEN TO BE UNFIT AS A PARENT, AND FROM NOW ON RANMA'S EDUCATION AND FURTHER UPBRINGING WILL CONCERN ONLY ME!"

**  
**"B… but No-chan, you can't do that! I haven't taught the boy all I know yet, and besides, you aren't allowed to exclude me!" Genma said a bit more self-confidently. "I am the Head of the Clan Saotome, and you can't overrule the Head of Clan!" he finished with something that sounded suspiciously like glee. Bad idea, Genma. _Very_ bad idea.

**  
**Soun and Nabiki cringed away when they heard Nodoka snarl. Loudly. "YOU! YOU STILL THINK THAT YOU ARE THE HEAD OF THE CLAN SAOTOME, A CLAN WHICHS HONOUR YOU SHOT BEYOND REPAIR? YOU IDIOT LEFT ME OVER TEN YEARS AGO, AND YOU LEFT ME TO DEAL WITH EVERYTHING THAT PERTAINED THE CLAN! AND AFTER TEN YEARS OF ACTING AS THE HEAD OF CLAN I _BECAME_ THE HEAD OF CLAN! I'LL REPEAT IT ONLY ONCE: YOU HAVE NO SAY ANYMORE! YOU LOST IT, WHEN YOU TORTURED OUR CHILD! AND NOW HOLD STILL AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT LIKE A MAN!"

**  
**"HAH! AND YOURE A FIT PARENT, HUH? _WHO_ LET RANMA RUN OFF WITH ME AND _WHO_ NEARLY HELD US TO THE SEPPUKU CONTRACT? Genma yelled back, and a deathly quiet ensued. Suddenly, a tiny and barely audible "Oops" could be heard from Genma, before sounds ensued which indicated, that someone was chased and beaten upon.

**  
**Then suddenly… "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT! IT WAS _YOU_, WHO WANTED TO TAKE RANMA ONTO THE STUPID TRIP AT ALL COSTS! IT WAS _YOU_, WHO SUGGESTED THE CONTRACT AND PRACTICALLY FORCED IT DOWN MY THROAT! FOR TEN YEARS I HAD NOTHING MORE THAN A STUPID PIECE OF PAPER TO REMIND ME OF MY SON! DO YOU THINK THAT MADE ME HAPPY? I ONLY AGREED TO THE STUPID IDEA OF THE CONTRACT BECAUSE I DEARLY HOPED IT WOULD KEEP YOU IN LINE! SOMETHING THAT FAILED ROYALLY! DO YOU THINK, I WOULD HAVE LET RANMA GO IF I HAD KNOWN WHAT YOU CONSIDERED TRAINING? KAMI-SAMA, IT IS A TRUE MIRACLE THAT OUR CHILD IS EVEN ALIVE, NOT TO MENTION SANE! AND THAT MY RANMA TURNED OUT AS WELL AS HE HAS IS NOT YOUR MERIT AT ALL! I HAVE MADE MY SHARE OF FAULTS, THAT I ADMIT, BUT WHAT YOU DID TAKES THE CAKE! AND NOW IN THE NAME OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HOLY I WILL PUNISH YOU!"

**  
**Inside the living room, Nabiki whistled. It seemed, that 'uncle' was receiving a really good dressing down, something he deserved for the longest time. Ever since her attitude towards Ranma had changed, she had come to see, that a lot that had happened around here had been Genma's fault.

**  
**Had the big oaf not held back information during critical situations, and that repeatedly, a lot could have been prevented. And all of Genma's harpings about honour were the biggest joke ever! Ranma had been right, Genma Saotome would not know honour if it bit him in his furry butt. Repeatedly. **'You go, auntie. You show that baka. And beat him one over from me too!'** Nabiki thought with satisfaction.

**  
**Moments later very loud noises followed the latest outburst of Nodoka, and Nabiki produced two sets of ear-plugs from her pocket, smirking all the while. After the first session she had grown wiser, and now she was prepared. She plucked the ear-plugs where they belonged, and sighed when peace and quiet were re-established. Her father smiled at the smartness of his daughter, and used the other set of ear-plugs for himself. Who knew, how long Nodoka would take with punishing Genma?

**  
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**  
**It turned out that Nodoka had been _very_ angry with Genma, and when Nodoka had finally deemed him punished enough, the Saotome patriarch had barely been able to crawl. With the last of his strength he had dragged himself into the guest room, and he hadn't been seen ever since. That had been yesterday, and presently the Tendos, including Akane, and one Nodoka Saotome were sitting around the breakfast table.

**  
**School would start in half an hour, and the four were enjoying peace and quiet for once. The sounds of the morning fight between Ranma and Genma had been absent, which had led to a good nights sleep for everyone except Genma. The Saotome patriarch had been in a lot of pain, which had made it impossible for him to sleep at all. Nodoka had refused to share the same room as her husband, and had slept in Kasumi's room.

**  
**After breakfast, Nodoka accompanied Nabiki to school. She had to withdraw Ranma, and Nabiki would have to prepare for the impact that would have. But not even the prospect of making a lot of Yen with the latest news could cheer the Ice-queen up. Outwardly she had her indifferent mask in place, but inwardly she was in turmoil. What her sister had said had rattled her deeply. Akane had seen their mother! In heaven!

**  
**And Akane had told it in such a way, that Nabiki had no reason to doubt her. That rattled her worldview quite thoroughly. She had been nearly convinced, that heaven and hell existed after Kasumi had been possessed by that oni, but now she really began to think about adjusting her lifestyle.

**  
**After all, she had been no choirboy (or girl for that matter), and she wanted to see her mother again after her death. Nodding to herself she came to the conclusion, that Kasumi had been right. Money was not everything, but it could ruin her life and her character. Yes, it was time to change her way of life.

**  
**In the following half hour, Nabiki helped Nodoka to withdraw Ranma. She also handed in an exculpation for the day for Akane. Her father had finally decided, that Akane needed professional help, and Nabiki had been happy to make an appointment with Dr. Jagakawa. Due to her skills in talking people into what she wanted, she had even managed to make an appointment for today. And until the appointment later today she had aunties word, that she would serve Akane loads of calming tea for her still surging temper.

**  
**Handing in the exculpation had been easy, but regarding Ranma's withdrawal Principal Kuno aka Principal Coconut turned out to be a harder nut. But with Nabiki's help and Nodoka's threat to sue the school, the idiot had had no other choice but to accept it. He had even cried bitter tears when he had had to hand Ranma's mother the school report for this grade.

**  
**Unsurprisingly and due to Kasumi's tutoring Ranma had passed. Now Nabiki would have to prepare for the next day, when the student-body would find out what had happened. The only thing Nabiki looked forward to was the profit she would make, probably for the last time, when the school learned of the departure of Ranma Saotome.

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	14. Interlude: Nerima Part 2

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 14**

**  
Interlude: Nerima Part 2**

**  
**Next day things had settled down somewhat. Akane had protested about the appointment with the shrink to some extent, but the Tendo Patriarch had been adamant about it. Thus Akane had had to go, and although the first and very lengthy appointment had not sat too well with Akane she slowly began to grasp that she really needed professional help. The first action of the doctor after evaluating her had been to give her some strong medicine to get her temper enough under control to allow a productive session.

**  
**At the end of the session Dr. Jagakawa had prescribed her some rather strong medication which would help to tame her temper while they were working to find the reasons for it, and now that she had realised due to the doctors help that she really _had_ temper problems she had sworn to take the prescribed medicine and had already done so. The effects had been astounding and had proven to even her, how many problems she really had with her temper and what it had caused. It had ultimately led to her losing someone she loved, and it was hard to come to grips with the fact that Ranma was gone from her live as a future husband.

**  
**The others had been right, she really had taken Ranma for granted, and she had believed that regardless how angry she got at him that he'd always stay with her. But obviously she had been wrong, and it had all been her damn tempers fault. She didn't know why, but she was beginning to see clearer now. Maybe the admission why she had been so angry with Ranma had had some cathartic effect, who knew? All that she knew was that she had problems, and she would work hard to overcome them.

**  
**When she reflected about the things that had been said two days ago Akane was actually glad that she had not given in to her temper and had yelled at them to go to hell. Her surprise had been just too great for this, surprise at being betrayed like this by her father and her sister.

**  
**They had actually three-teamed on her, Nabiki, her father and Nodoka, and the truth in their statements had made her go numb. She had talked with her shrink about it, and he had advised her to talk with her family about how she felt about it. After she had been convinced that the doctor could be trusted she had told him everything about the morning fights and the pictures Nabiki had sold of her, and what was 'normal' in the Tendo household. She even had grudgingly admitted that she had malleted Ranma on a regular basis, and for a few minutes the doc had been at a loss for words. When she had then told him about Ranma's curse and how she felt about it the doc had even needed more time to gather his bearings.

**  
**When Dr. Jagakawa had then asked if she believed that her sister had sold these pictures to spite her she had instantly been tempted to yell "Hell yes!", but the doc had forestalled an immediate answer and had urged her to think about it. Which she had done. And after reflecting on why her sister had done what she had done she realised that Nabiki had done everything to keep them cared for.

**  
**Kasumi had always cared for their physical and emotional well-being, that had been obvious to anyone, but Nabiki had been the one to take care of their monetary needs, and that mostly in secret. Even if her methods had been questionable, she had managed to keep them off the streets; and Akane knew that she had actually saved enough money for their first year in college, and that for all three of them.

**  
**After realising that and admitting it to herself, she had had no chance but to answer honestly. This was a therapy, and she wanted to make this work, so no need to lie to oneself. That had been the docs' words, and boy had he been right.

**  
**The 'talk' with her father, Nabiki and Nodoka had served to bring some of her beliefs down, and had that not happened she was sure that she would have carried on as if everything that happened to her was Ranma's fault. But that she had lost her engagement to Ranma was hers and hers alone, and even if it was hard for her, she would apologise to Ranma and tell him why she had been so angry at him.

**  
**The others had of course been at fault too. Nabiki with her way of making money off of her and Ranma and actually enjoying it a wee bit too much was at fault despite her resolutions to make money, her own father, who had been too cowardly to put his foot down regarding the morning fights, and also Nodoka, who had acted as if it was perfectly normal for her son to have multiple fiancées.

**  
**Nodoka's first reaction to Ranma's fiancée problem had incensed her at that time, and it had also given her even more justification to view Ranma as a pervert. This view of Nodoka, that she realised now, had been a good deal of her foundation for her beliefs of Ranma. And she would have to talk to them about it once she really got her temper under control. With her temper somewhat out of the way she was slowly coming to the conclusion that she had made enough accusations in the past. Maybe civilised talk would be a much better option…

**  
**After the 'talk', which had rattled her quite much and also due to the first, lengthy therapy session she was finally beginning to realise that her own behaviour after Jusendo had driven Ranma away. Any chance at love they had had together was dead now, and she had blown it, not Nabiki, not Nodoka and not her father. It was a lot to take in, but after what had been said two days ago and due to her own realisations from the therapy session she had realised that.

**  
**The 'talk' with the others had brought home the point, and the therapy session had cemented it. The doc had hinted that a lot of situations had escalated because of her rash reaction to a situation, and slowly Akane grasped, that it had been her fault. Especially her losing the engagement. She was grasping this slowly, and in her heart she knew that she'd never be able to become Ranma's iinazuke again, and she'd have to live with it. Maybe it was now really time to grow up and to not blame everything on someone else any more, for what good had it done her? Had it solved her problems any? No, rather the opposite.

**  
**And while Akane was hanging to her own thoughts and walked in silence beside her older sister, said Nabiki Tendo was sorting through her thoughts. She had spent the rest of yesterdays school day, aside from paying attention in class, with planning how to breach what had happened to the public. She had then come to the realisation, that the direct and blunt approach would probably be the best course of action. Though Kuno-baby could pose a problem in that regard.

**  
**Should he have learned about the fact that Ranma had been withdrawn from school, and there was a good chance for that due to the itsy-bitsy fact that his dad was their loony principal, he would probably begin to sprout one of his speeches and make her efforts so much more difficult.

**  
**It was logical to assume that Kuno had already forgotten the performance Ranma had given when she had pretended to be her sister-turned-brothers wife. Probably he had already adjusted reality to how he viewed it, and she'd give good odds on the bet that he would sprout one of his speeches soon, maybe even today. But she'd deal with this when she had to cross this bridge. Hmm, if only Tatewaki would not be such a nut-job, he'd be quite passable…

**  
**Sighing, she thought about more comfortable topics, i.e. the fate of one Genma Saotome. Auntie had once again prepared breakfast, and one could only commend her on the superb job she had done once again, including another round of calming tea for Akane in addition to her medication. Now that auntie knew the real reason behind Akane's anger she treated her sis a lot better than after the end of the engagement, and it looked as if reconciliation between them was possible.

**  
**And it had been too funny to see how auntie had even gotten the Panda to work. Apparently he had neither forgotten the threat hanging over his head nor the treatment he had received yesterday, for he had not been so stupid as to say that housework was a females´ duty even once. Maybe it was also due to the bandages which still covered a large part of his body and made induced changes into a panda somewhat uncomfortable, even if Genma had actually enough intelligence to loosen the bandages somewhat in case he did change…

**  
**Nodoka had refused to talk to her husband at all and had even gone so far as to ignore his presence completely. This had gone so far that the Saotome matriarch had not prepared breakfast for her husband, and all pleading and begging on his part had not worked.

**  
**Even the crouch of the wild tiger had failed, and Nabiki had admired Aunties determination to make her husband suffer. All this had ultimately led to the following: Genma had had to prepare his own breakfast, and as he was so inexperienced at it, it was a small miracle that he had not burned the kitchen down.

**  
**In the end it had been a supreme effort on his part to make himself some rice and coffee, the only things he was actually able to make just by himself, Nabiki mused. She knew that the fat man had really had no interest to cook a traditional meal for himself, as far too much work was involved in it for his taste, she was sure.

**  
**In his opinion cooking was for women, well, except for the time when Ranma had cooked for them on the trip, as he had admitted himself. And his comment about how he had been justified as his son had turned out a half-girl had not only sat not so well with Ranma. It was clear that the baka panda regarded cooking for oneself as unmanly and as a woman's duty. Nabiki actually wondered if she should set him on a bamboo diet to lessen the stress levels of auntie…

**  
**Nabiki shook her head. In all honesty, Genma was not even able to prepare a simple soup for himself, let alone a full traditional meal. And from his pleading and begging it had been pretty obvious that he had had no interest in using the camping gear in his pack and repeat what he had done during the time Kasumi had been sick: cook for himself. This was also why he had married Nodoka in the first place, Nabiki guessed, because she could cook, and that very good. And that she was beautiful surely did probably help too.

**  
**Well, in Nabiki's opinion no one aside from Genma would have called what he had prepared coffee and rice, but that on a side note. When Nodoka had finally spoken to him she had asked him in a frosty voice "And how did you survive the training trip with _your_ skills at cooking?"

**  
**Chagrined, Genma had had to admit that that had been the reason why he had stolen food or made engagements for food so often and why Ranma had had to cook for them. Of course, this admission in addition to a certain comment about their child had served to incense Nodoka once more, and that Genma had apparently forced her child into taking up duties for which he had been much too young at the time led to the next 'dojo-session'.

**  
**And as the fat tub of lard deserved a lot more pain and suffering in Nabiki's opinion, she had smirked when Nodoka had led him into the dojo by the ear once more. Before the middle Tendo daughter had always played down in her own mind what had happened to Ranma on his training trip, but that Genma did not accept any of what they did to help Ranma, and that now, when he finally began to accept the curse, incensed her. If Genma hated women so much, then why in Kami-samas name had he married one? It couldn't be just because of her ability to cook great meals, could it? That would be downright pathetic. But very Genma, Nabiki concluded.

**  
**The man made no sense to her. On the one hand he had deliberately raised Ranma into an arrogant, ignorant macho jock who knew nothing about a woman and her wishes, but on the other hand he had expected him to hit it off instantly with one of them.

**  
**Was it only she who noticed the discrepancy between the concepts? How should someone who had been raised to view women as inferior and useless appreciate his own wife with convictions like that? It was a real miracle that Ranma had turned out as well as he had, what with Genma as a role-model and teacher! And he had made everything so much more worse for Ranma after he had been cursed to become a girl, for how should someone, who seemingly hated women, help his child accept the fact that it was now cursed to become what it had been taught to despise?

**  
**No, Genma and his teachings made no sense to her, and Nabiki was glad that his influence on Ranma and their household was removed bit by bit by auntie. That's why the trip made so much sense. If Ranma could accept his girl-half as a part of him, as _Ranma_, then her sister, or brother, depending on the weather, Nabiki mused amused, would be able to have a happy life together.

**  
**And should he ever become Kasumi's father-in-law she'd make sure that her sibling would be protected from him. To that end she was at present undertaking steps to ensure that Genma would never be able to attain control over the dojo. Sure, he was not the head of Clan Saotome any more and could thus not make decisions for Ranma any longer, but Nabiki mused that a man like him had still the one or the other ace up his sleeves.

**  
**Genma had always been a lazy man in her opinion, and normally lazy people were not dangerous per se. But in his case his laziness was coupled with a bottomless greed, and that he had raised Ranma the way he had was no coincidence in her opinion. She was convinced that Genma had kept Ranma deliberately ignorant of a lot of life's facts so that he would have an easier time to control Ranma and thus live off of his sons' efforts.

**  
**The plan was simple and ingenious. Take a child away from its mother, raise it, make it totally dependent from you in the process and keep it ignorant of everything 'unimportant', marry it off to the child of an old friend and take control over everything once they are married. But Genma had made the equation without taking her into consideration.

**  
**She would make sure that Kasumi would be far over 20 years old before she'd marry, and that both Ranma and Kasumi would hopefully have graduated from college by then would make it next to impossible for both fathers to intervene with Kasumi's and Ranma's lives.

**  
**That left her dealing with the situation at present. Not that she did not trust her father, and she was happy about the fact that he had grown a backbone, but she feared that he could still be influenced by Genma. And from now on Genma's influence on this family had to be minimised, and that included also Ranma, as far as she was concerned.

**  
**Nabiki had seen how Kasumi had looked at Ranma, and she was sure that they would act upon their feelings any time soon in the future. She was happy for her older sister, but also sad over her own stupidity at the same time. She had had Ranma on the hook for a brief time, and she had not realised just what a good catch he had been. Kasumi had, as she had looked underneath the rough surface, and her persistence had paid off in the end. Her big sis had caught an unpolished raw diamond, and she, who had always cared for them, deserved it the most.

**  
**It had helped that she had received the curse of the Drowned Man which gave her much more common ground with Ranma than any of them had ever had, and inwardly Nabiki wondered if the two would view the ability to become the opposite gender still as a curse when they came back from their trip. She herself could see a lot of practical uses for being able to change genders as a couple…

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter only hoped that she'd find as much luck as Kasumi apparently had found with Ranma. To herself she smiled at the irony. Her older sister, who had claimed that younger men were so boring had now ended up with exactly that, a younger man. Or was it a younger woman? Well, it all depended on the weather, among other factors, didn't it?

**  
**Heh, who would have thought that the arrival of one Ranma Saotome would lead to such interesting developments? She herself had really made a killing money-wise ever since Ranma had come into her life, and the fact that Ranma had actually _allowed_ her to make this money had raised her opinion of the martial artist several notches.

**  
**And sometimes, especially lately, she felt bad over the fact that she had enjoyed doing the things she had done to Ranma. The things she had forced him, but especially her through from time to time would have been enough to make lesser persons run off crying. Now that she knew how Ranma really was she regretted what she had done in the name of making money. She had been too far gone in her conviction that the end justified the means, but had it been right to enjoy making money this was so much?

**  
**The depressing answer, at least for her, was no, and she finally understood what Kasumi had wanted to tell her. Money was not everything, but it could corrupt the character absolutely due to the greed that the hunt for money elicited. That she had seen proven especially in Genma Saotome. The man only lived for his basic needs and urges, and what were the consequences? He had damaged the Saotome family honour and the life of Ranma nearly beyond repair. No, she did not want to become like this, never! And once she would see Ranma again she would apologise to him, her, whatever, and hopefully Ranma would be able to forgive her.

**  
**Due to her realisations, that she knew, she no longer was the Ice-queen of Furinkan High. She did not know as of yet who she was or who she would be, but that cold-hearted mercenary persona she had been was gone. And in a few months she'd be off to college, where she'd have a fresh start. Only one more day of wearing this mask, and once this day was over, she'd have to do a thorough soul-searching.

**  
**And she'd also apologise to her baby sis for what she'd also done to her. She, like her sister apparently too, had realised a lot about herself recently. As for Akane, maybe now, finally, after she had admitted at least to herself that she had temper problems she would be on the way to recovery. Just like she…

**  
**Inwardly Nabiki knew that all the problems had been caused because the whole Tendo family had lived on as if nothing had happened after mother's death. And that had been one big mistake, a mistake, which still haunted them to the present day. But Akane was receiving help now, Kasumi had broken out of her shell, even if only due to the curse, and finally Kasumi had found someone she loved and who loved her. And she herself had realised that money was not everything.

**  
**At present Nabiki was on her way to school, reflecting in silence on the past and in the company of a very silent and withdrawn Akane. But upon arriving at the school gates Nabiki was raised out of her musing rather abruptly as her danger sense screamed. She could already see that a large group of students had gathered around one figure. The middle Tendo daughter smacked her head and muttered a curse. That figured. And once more a perfect example for Murphy's Law: what can go wrong will go wrong. Sigh. It seemed as if she'd have to cross the bridge now.

**  
**..."and finally the mighty Blue Thunder of Furinkan High has proven to be the righteous victor over the vile demon Saotome! My glorious presence has finally driven away the foul beast, and now the beauteous Akane Tendo and the pigtailed girl may date... urgh!" he suddenly exclaimed and dropped like a sack of potatoes.

**  
**Nabiki looked to her right side, where Akane had been a few seconds ago and where she still was. No, Akane had not laid a finger upon the delusional Kendoist and was looking quite surprised. Odd.

**  
**Upon seeing that no one was moving a finger to help Kuno Nabiki decided to intervene. He was tough, and it was not normal that Kuno dropped like that. Usually he would not go down without a severe beating. But as far as she had seen, no one had touched him. And it was highly unlikely that her baby sister had suddenly learned how to beat someone up without touching them. Or so she hoped.

**  
**She needed to elbow some people out of the way to reach the Kendoist, but most of them made way for her as soon as they saw the Ice-queen of Furinkan High approaching them. Finally Nabiki had reached Kuno, and what she saw disturbed her deeply.

**  
**For instead of its normal, healthy colour his face had taken on a sick, greyish colour. The colour of his lips worried Nabiki too. She instantly knew that something was very wrong and wasted no time. Nabiki pulled out her cell-phone and called an ambulance.

**  
**While they were waiting for the ambulance Nabiki shook her head. No, the day was not starting out as she had expected and planned. Not by a long shot. One glance at her sister, who was standing beside her confirmed that she was at a loss too. As were the people around them. What could have happened to Kuno?

**  
**As the waiting continued the first students began to ask questions.

**  
**"What has happened to him?"

**  
**"What did he say about Ranma?"

**  
**"Where _is_ Ranma?"

**  
**"Did he defeat Ranma?"

**  
**Nabiki sighed. The Furinkan rumour mill was already in full swing, and damage control was now next to impossible. And Ukyo, who was standing nearby, was watching her and her sister intently. Perfect. She felt like smacking her head. Odd, she felt this way a lot lately, and it was not even Ranma's fault.

**  
**She just wanted to begin with an explanation and had just taken in a deep breath when finally the ambulance arrived. Two paramedics and one doctor exited the vehicle, and the doctor took in the situation at once. "Over here!" he called to his two helpers, who followed him with a stretcher. Then the doctor noticed Nabiki, who was standing next to the unconscious Kuno. "Miss, can you tell me what happened here?"

**  
**Nabiki nodded. "I have no information as to what happened to him, but he suddenly just collapsed. Without further warning."

**  
**"Yes," one of her fellow students, a girl, exclaimed, "he was just making one of his usual speeches when he fell over. Without anyone touching him."

**  
**The doctor nodded and began to examine Kuno. He checked the heartbeat and the pulse-rate of his patient, then he began to examine the Kendoist more thoroughly. Well, as far as this was possible with the equipment the ambulance offered. After several minutes he looked up. "I can't be sure," he said to Nabiki, who he recognised as the leader of the group, "but I suspect that he has been poisoned. His vital signs and the greyish colour plus the colour of his lips indicate this. We'll have to take him to the hospital immediately. Do you know his parents or anyone else we could contact?"

**  
**Nabiki nodded. "Leave it to me. His father is the principal here, so no sweat."

**  
**The doctor nodded again. "Thanks, Miss. We have to leave now so that my patient can receive help as fast as possible. I have already given an antidote, but the lab has to find out which poison was used so that it can be neutralised efficiently." he said.

**  
**And with that the two paramedics lifted Kuno onto the stretcher and carried him to the ambulance, which then, as soon as the patient was onboard, sped away with its blaring horn.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter sighed. Ranma was now gone from Nerima, but it seemed that they still lived in interesting times even without the cursed martial artist. Her mood did not improve when she saw Ukyo Kuonji approach them. "Ukyo." she greeted neutrally.

**  
**"Nabiki." was the equally neutral greeting. "I'd like to know where my Ran-chan is. He has kept his distance from me for far too long, and now that I wanted to change this he was not in school yesterday and he is not with you two today. _And_ the Nekohanten is closed. Something is fishy here. Where is he, and how much will it cost me?"

**  
**The mercenary girl suppressed the mother of all sighs with great difficulty. It seemed as if she had to show her cards earlier than anticipated. With her emotionless mask in place she replied, "I'll come to that. One moment. Listen everyone!" she said and whistled, which brought her the immediate attention of all students. "Anyone who wants to know what has happened to Ranma Saotome, meet me here during break. I will tell you for a fee of 5,000 Yen each. Till then."

**  
**Just at this moment the bell rang, and the students made their way into the building, muttering among themselves about the recent events. Ukyo was walking with Nabiki and Akane, her battle-spatula strapped to her back as usual. "So, something _has_ happened with my Ran-chan. And I bet it has to do with _you_!" she exclaimed, pointing her index finger at Akane, who stared back at Ukyo angrily but said nothing. "What has happened, Nabiki? What has she," she pointed at Akane with an angry and jealous expression, "done now?"

**  
**The ice-queen only shook her head. "You'll have to wait like the others, Kuonji." she said and proceeded to walk to her class, while Ukyo silently steamed. She hated that she could do nothing against Nabiki, for her blows were not of a physical nature but hurt so much more. Nabiki had the power to ruin one's life. And hers was already ruined enough as that she could have risked to ruin it even more.

**  
**Thus she turned to a more fitting target, one who conveniently went to the same class as her. "What have you done to my Ran-chan, Tendo?"

**  
**Akane's temper began to rise, but her medication kept it nearly completely under wraps, so that it was nothing more than a shadow of what it used to be. "He is not _your_ Ran-chan, and he never was and never will be. And now leave me the hell alone!" she said and nearly seemed to be ready to erupt in tears as she stormed away.

**  
**That stunned Ukyo somewhat and took a good deal of wind out of her sails. It really seemed as if something _big_ had happened, and naturally Ran-chan must have been in the thick of it. But it really seemed as if she had no other choice but to wait until break.

**  
**Nabiki could not be forced, and it would probably be too dangerous to ask an unstable Akane. Even if she, Ukyo, was the better martial artist, Akane was still a lot stronger. And when she actually managed to connect her blows hurt like hell. No, she'd wait.

**  
**Thus Ukyo sat down at her usual desk and waited for lunch break to come. Naturally, as it always is when you are waiting for something, time crept by slower than slugs at a slug race. That was at least Ukyo's opinion. To top it off, classes had been even more boring than usual, what with Ranma gone.

**  
**But finally break time arrived. _Now_ she would find out. And like a good deal of other students Ukyo ran to the door as soon as the bell had rang, and stormed out into the direction of the part of the yard where Nabiki usually conducted her business deals.

**  
**As she had expected, the middle Tendo daughter was already waiting there, her face a mask of stone. Naturally Nabiki, being the business woman that she was, waited until everyone had found his or her way into her net. Come into my net, the spider named Nabiki Tendo had said, and everyone with enough money had followed her call. At least that was the impression Ukyo got every time Nabiki had information to sell.

**  
**Then, with her customary composure the middle Tendo daughter stated loud and clear that whoever who wanted to hear what had happened to Ranma, that he or she could do so for the fee of 5,000 Yen she had appointed before and assured her clients that her information came from reliable sources. As always.

**  
**Needless to say that these were the magical words. Not even a second later the middle Tendo daughter was surrounded by ever-curious people who had apparently no life or their own, people, who had nothing better to do than to find out all about the people who led interesting lives. People, who did not even try to make their own lives interesting, for it was just so much easier to 'participate' in the lives of the interesting people.

**  
**They would surely become prime examples of spying neighbours in their later lives, so much was for sure. And Nabiki revelled one last time in the feelings that selling information and extracting money from her customers brought her, and she nearly smiled as she reflected upon how embarrassingly _easy_ it always had been to extort money from her customers of whom not a single one did seem to have even an inkling of monetary value whatsoever.

**  
**And then there was Ukyo Kuonji, who had been the first one in line to pay her. Of course, she was just as interested as the others to learn what had happened if not even more so, but her motivations were not just curiousity. In her case, feelings were involved and in the past Nabiki had loved to make money out of an opportunity like this. Right now she wished that she did not have to tell the chef what had happened, but the fact that Ranma was gone was hard to hide. Well, at least Ranma was bringing in money a last time, and Nabiki swore to herself that she'd use that money to help her sister and Ranma considering Ukyo engagement.

**  
**After she had collected the money and was sure that no one was trying to listen in without paying, she counted the money and stored it away. Then she began to speak. "Well... as all of you have noticed Ranma Saotome did not appear to class the last two days. This has all to do with the fact that Ranma is no longer attending Furinkan High. As of yesterday morning his mother withdrew him from this school."

**  
**A shocked silence reigned, and Nabiki forestalled any comments by holding up a hand.

"_This_ has everything to do with the fact, that as of Sunday the engagement between my sister Akane and Ranma is off, and that for good and ever."

**  
**At this point Ukyo began to cheer. **'Wait, Kuonji, wait before you sell the fur of the bear until you've killed it. And the way it looks now, you never will.' **Nabiki thought before continuing. "And as of Sunday evening Ranma Saotome has left Nerima for a training trip to regions unknown. Not even I have the information where he is headed to, and I have _no intention_ to find out. And no, I won't do it for any amount of money. Furthermore, it is unknown if and when he will return. The rest is confidential, and again, no amount of money would be suffice to pay for the information. That would be all."

**  
**Muttering among themselves the students proceeded to use the rest of the break to engage in their usual activities, gossiping, eating, drinking and relaxing. The top theme was of course the departure of Ranma Saotome and the cancelled engagement between Akane and Ranma and the implications of these facts.

**  
**Some incorrigible boys, read perverts, were discussing if it would not be a good idea to revive the Hentai Horde, but those ideas were driven from the heads of these stupid boys faster than they could blink by a horde of angry girls who had heard them talk. The first time had been bad enough for them and Akane, and there was no need for a repeat performance. A thorough beating, ahem, discussion between the parties later it had been 'decided' that there would be no revival of the morning fights. And as there was no Kuno to enforce the idea of the morning fights the boys had had no other choice but to relent.

**  
**Akane whereas stayed at the side of her sister, unsure of what to do and to whom to talk. At the moment she was completely at a loss and simply needed the proximity to her sister who was now a rock in the surge for her. Even her best friends Yuka and Sayuri noticed this and kept their distance. Maybe they could offer their friend emotional assistance later.

**  
**And Ukyo still had some questions regarding this topic and had trailed Nabiki. "Yes, Kuonji?" she asked.

**  
**Ukyo fixed her with a stare and ignored Akane for the moment, but as expected the stare had no effect on Nabiki. "I want to know the _rest_. What has _really_ happened? Wait, let me guess... your brilliant little sister here finally managed to drive my Ran-chan away, hasn't she! Tell me! I _deserve_ to know!"

**  
**Nabiki sighed. Ukyo was right. She really deserved to know, as she was an official fiancée after all. Fact, that she'd hopefully be able to change soon. "3,000 Yen more and I will tell you. But _only_ you. And you have no rights to sell or tell this information to anyone. Do we have a deal?"

**  
**The chef grumbled and reached into her pocket. "Deal. Here." she said and handed the specified amount of Yen to Nabiki, who pocketed it. "Okay, what happened was this..."

**  
**And thus Nabiki began to fill Ukyo in. The other students were wisely keeping their distance as they knew what would happen if they pried in onto the conversation. The middle Tendo daughter then began to tell Ukyo how Shampoo had come crashing through the wall and had provoked a malleting through glomping on Ranma. How that had led to the dissolving of the engagement.

**  
**How Kasumi had been cursed. And how it finally had been decided that Ranma and Kasumi should go on a training trip together to get used to their curses. Which had led to the present situation. Furinkan high without one Ranma Saotome.

**  
**Ukyo was at a loss for words. "You... you mean he is going to live as a _girl_ for three months or longer? And Kasumi as a boy? Are you kidding me? Ran-chan would never do that! He'd rather die!"

**  
**Nabiki smirked. "Maybe in the past, but the situation has changed. And no, this is no joke. I have no sense of humour that I know of. Anyway, Cologne told us that there are no cures and that the Nannichuan is anything but a cure. She drove the point home that the curses mix when she told us of what had happened to Pantyhose Taro. Fact is, there _are_ no cures and Ranma will be a half-girl for the rest of his life. That is why his mother decided that he has to come to know his girl-side so that he can accept his femininity as well as his masculinity. And just like with every other challenge Ranma took it head on. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he's already a girl and tries to stay this way."

**  
**The chef boggled. "Ranma's _mother_ has decided that? Mrs. My-son-can't-be-manly-enough Saotome? And _Ranma_ followed through with that? The _same_ Ranma who is always boasting about his manliness? I can't believe it!"

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter smirked. "You _better_ believe it. As for this whole manliness crap, you can shoot that right out of the window. His mother has cooked up something else, and I must admit that it makes sense for a change. She said something to the effect that he should strive to become a gentle person. According to Nodoka Saotome this is someone who is as much master of his own destiny as Fate will allow. And that it was apparently fate that Ranma and Kasumi received their curses and that they have to get used to them. And that is what they are doing now. As for where they are headed to, I honestly have no idea. Ranma has not even told his parents."

**  
**Ukyo had a hard time to accept this. Her Ran-chan, living _willingly_ as a girl? For three months? Unbelievable! But Nabiki had no reason to lie, and her story could be checked far too easily. No, that had to be true. It was too farfetched to be anything but.

**  
**Then the anger of the chef burned high once more when she remembered who was still standing there in the background. Akane. The reason why her Ran-chan had left. "I hope you are happy now! Wasn't it enough any more to make him miserable day in day out so that you had to go one step further? Know what, "she said sarcastically, "you finally succeeded, Akane! You finally managed to do what you wanted since long: you drove Ran-chan away. Congratulations!"

**  
**Akane had a hurt and sad look plastered on her face. Inwardly Nabiki sighed. This time she could not protect her sister from the truth, nor did she _want_ to. Akane had to learn that her actions had _consequences_. She, Nabiki would only ensure that those consequences would not kill her sister. "I... I never wanted it to go this far, but… but it somehow happened. I... I had a lot to think about... and... yeah, it _is_ my fault. I guess... I guess it was all along." she muttered with a sigh.

**  
**That admission of guilt did nothing to placate Ukyo. "Just dandy! And you come to realise that _after_ you have driven him away. Way to go, Tendo, way to go." she said angrily. "No wonder he ran off after how you treated him! Heck, I would have treated my worst enemy better than you my Ran-chan! You know what, I really don't want to know what you do to people you _really_ hate."

**  
**Nabiki sighed. She should have expected that Ukyo would react this way to the training trip. That Ranma had left with Kasumi was not really Akane's fault, but one could say that her actions had led to it. One look at her sisters' face and her words told her however that Akane _did_ feel responsible.

**  
**So at least something good had come out of the talk they had given Akane and the first therapy session. Those were admittedly quite expensive, but the money did not really matter if the sessions helped her sister overcome her problems. And in the meantime she had realised and admitted that she _had_ problems, which was the first step to a solution.

**  
**It seemed she had already somewhat come to terms with her anger at Ranma. "Do you _really_ think I am _happy_ that he is gone? That he is not my fiancé any more? Heck, I loved him! I still do..." she said with tear shining in her eyes.

**  
**Ukyo however was having none of it. "And what a nice way of showing it you had! With a mallet to the head each time that was convenient to you, which seemed to be always, with poisoned food no one would have touched with a twenty feet pole and with mistrust! Why he even ever considered trying out that toxic waste you call cooking and actually even tasted it when he could have eaten my delicious food is beyond me. Everything would have worked out for me, but _you_ had to drive him away! And now I won't be seeing my Ran-chan for three or more months! It is all your fault!" she exclaimed, using words against Akane the Tendo girl had so often hurled at Ranma in the past.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter decided that now as good time to intervene. That had gone far enough. "Hey Kuonji, that will be enough. That Ranma's mother decided Ranma should leave on a training trip with Kasumi is _not_ Akane's fault. Everything else is" Akane flinched at this, "and she is already paying for it, but _that_ is not. You can't really blame her for that. And my sister has had enough, don't you see that?"

**  
**The chef threw a look at her former rival. She was indeed the very image of misery, and if she thought logically about it she had to admit that Nabiki was right. Akane was not responsible for the decision of Nodoka Saotome. _But_ she was responsible for the things that had led to it.

**  
**No, she would not attack Akane. The Tendo girl had lost, ultimately lost, and she, Ukyo, still had a chance at Ranma. She would only have to wait until her Ran-chan returned to his cute fiancée. Then she would use her chance and rub it into the face of the girl who had been stupid enough to drive Ranma Saotome away.

**  
**After all, Ranma would never start something with Kasumi, would he? No, Kasumi was not his type, so no worries there. That was just too farfetched as that it could happen… "Okay, but don't expect me to pity her. She brought this upon herself."

**  
**At this Akane's trembling increased, and it was visible that she was hard pressed to keep in her tears. Nabiki sighed. Ever since yesterday her sister had apparently realised that _she_ had been the one responsible for blowing everything so royally. Not _Ranma_ had been responsible, but _she_. And the realisation had hurt.

**  
**But not as much as the reality that she had lost Ranma for good. It had been her accusations and her mistrust that had led to this, and she would have a hard time to come to terms with it. But life would go on. Akane was a strong person, and she would manage. With the right help which was now finally provided she would.

**  
**Finally, with one last glance at her former rival Ukyo departed. "Tendo." she nodded towards Nabiki, who nodded back. "Kuonji."

**  
**Afterwards the middle Tendo daughter nodded towards Yuka and Sayuri, and the two girls took this as a sign to take care of Akane. Talking soothingly to the still shaken up girl her two best friends took the youngest Tendo daughter between them and went to class, while Nabiki remained behind.

**  
**Silently the mercenary girl evaluated how the whole affair had gone. Most of the students had taken it rather well, aside from Ukyo Kuonji, which was no surprise. No, she'd have to do something about that engagement. She had to find a way to make the way free for her big sis, and up till now there had not been information that she had not been able to acquire. If the pay had been good, she thought with a smirk to herself.

**  
**But this was something she would be doing for her big sis, and by proxy, Ranma. A few months back she would have laughed in anyone's face who would have told her that she would actually provide help without asking for payment, but times had changed. _She_ had changed. And she vowed that she would find each and any facts about the Kuonjis and the engagement. She'd provide the facts, and Ranma could worry about finding an honourable way to resolve the mess. If anyone could, then Ranma Saotome, the most honourable person she knew.

**  
**Nodding to herself she made her way back to her class and sat down in contemplation, while also hoping that her sister would get through the day. The middle Tendo daughter was glad that the Hentai Horde would not be revived, and if it should, she'd close it down this time. And faster than those perverts would be able to blink.

**  
**All the money she'd be able to make with the fights be damned, now she knew how much her sister had suffered under those morning fights and what they had done to her, but back then she had only cared about the money she had been able to make off the betting. That had changed, and she vowed that she'd never allow a repetition. What with Kuno inadvertedly out of the way things did not look bad in that regard. With slight irritation she noticed, that her thoughts had returned to Tatewaki Kuno again, and she actually caught herself thinking that she hoped that he was okay. Odd.

**  
**Five minutes later the bell rang and indicated that break was over, and meanwhile Akane had calmed down somewhat, with the help of Sayuri and Yuka. With shuffling steps she entered her class, and instantly all talk stopped. Some of the boys leered at her, and most of the girls looked pitying. "What?" she asked her best friend Sayuri after she had sat down.

**  
**Sayuri, who was sitting beside her leant over and muttered something in her ear. Seconds later Akane was red in the face. The lesson had not begun yet, so it was of no consequence that she sprang to her feet. "Listen here you all, it was nothing _Ranma_ did to _me_, but what _I_ did to _him_. My past behaviour shames me, and Ranma's mother rightfully dissolved the engagement. And no, I am not interested in dating anyone of you stupid boys. So bugger off or its kapowie to the moon! Got me?"

**  
**That said Akane sat down with a defiant air, and no one dared to approach her. Then the lesson began and that was good so, for now she had something to keep herself occupied with. Thinking too much of Ranma and what she had done was just too painful at the moment. She only hoped that he and her sister were well. Or was it she and her brother?

**  
**After school Akane went directly homewards. She still wanted and needed time to herself as she had a great many things to think about, and she had even declined the offer of Sayuri and Yuka to go onto a shopping spree. After all, she was still grounded, and going against her father might have worked in the past, but after how he had acted these past days she highly doubted that it would still work.

**  
**No, she _wanted_ to be alone at the moment and it suited her that she was grounded, as she still needed to reflect on the things she had learned at the therapy session. She had to work at herself a lot if she wanted to become a good person and a good martial artist, that point had been driven home. The doc had said that she had a good heart, as far as he could tell from just one session, but what good did it without control over her emotions, and especially her anger? And to do that, to find and establish control, she had to find out where her anger came from and how to remedy it.

**  
**The greatest portion of her anger had been due to the fact that Ranma had brought her back from the dead, but she was slowly coming to terms with it. In the beginning, after she had been ripped away from the peace and serenity she had felt in her mothers' presence she had been half-insane with anger and grief. Despite that she had tried to live on, had tried to bury it as deeply as possible.

**  
**But she had been constantly confronted with the one person who had ripped her away from her mom and the absolute perfection of the Afterlife, and her anger at Ranma had increased more and more until it had finally led to the last boil-over which had then resulted in the loss of the engagement. She had not even told Kasumi what had caused her anger, as she had sensed that not even her sister would understand why she had malleted Ranma even for breathing. Add to it that Kasumi had taken Ranma's side more and more in the last months, which would have made understanding on her part highly unlikely, in her opinion.

**  
**Now, in hindsight she knew how unfair she had been to Ranma, and that he had brought her back had been proof that he had loved her. But 'had' was the keyword here. With her anger and grief because of what Ranma had done she had killed that love, that she had realised. And Ranma's mother had been right, it really had not been her time, or else she _would_ have stayed dead. And to think that she had insulted Ranma's mother the way she had. As hard as it was, she would have to apologise to her.

**  
**She had shamed her family with her actions, which _had _been immature and uncontrolled, just like Nodoka Saotome had accused. The reality hurt, but she could not afford to run around with glasses before her eyes that showed her a version of reality how she wanted it any more. Not if she wanted to master her life. She had her next therapy session Thursday, and if she was honest to herself, she was looking forward to it.

**  
**She had now realised that she had problems, and working on them to come to grips with them and her life was a priority now. Add to it the Dr. Jagakawa was a very friendly and patient man, which helped loads. She would master her temper, and she knew that she had to rethink her opinion of boys. At least of those who did not attend Furinkan High…

**  
**With a new resolve she entered the house, and with a quick "Tadaima", only to notice that nobody was at home, she went straight to her room to think.

**  
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**  
**At the same time Nabiki had remained at school to meet with one of her associates, her second-in-command to be exact. She wanted to be informed about the situation regarding Tatewaki Kuno, and she had just the idea how to achieve that.

**  
**Once she had entered her office she noticed that Akemi was already there. Good. "Akemi, do your friends Kaede and Naoko still work at the local hospital?" she asked, coming right to the bottom of things.

**  
**Akemi nodded. "Yes, chief."

**  
**Nabiki smirked. "Good. Contact them and tell them to find out anything they can about Tatewaki Kuno. Pay the usual standard fee if they're successful."

**  
**The younger girl nodded. "Yes, chief. I'll do that and keep you informed. If they're as efficient as always answers should arrive in a maximum of three hours. Both have shift this afternoon." she said smirking.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter mirrored the smirk. "Good. Oh, and Akemi..." she said, and the girl turned around, "you know that you'll inherit my position after this term, don't you?"

**  
**Akemi nodded confidently. "Yes, chief."

**  
**Nabiki smiled her icy smile. "I will leave you my contacts here at Furinkan, but any blackmail material I have collected I will destroy. Regarding that you will have to start your own batch, as I had to."

**  
**Her second in command sputtered. That was not going as she had always imagined. "B... but..." she sputtered.

**  
**The icy smile deepened. "Take it or leave it, Akemi. Your choice."

**  
**Akemi sighed. "Okay, chief. I'll take it. The contacts have to be enough. I'll go and inform Kaede and Naoko and will call you once I get the info. Till later!" she called and left the office.

**  
**Nabiki smiled. "Bai bai."

**  
**Then she sat down in her office chair and laid her feet onto the desk. Looking around she sighed. She would miss this, and today had been her last opportunity to make a quick yen. From now on, that she swore to herself, she would never blackmail anyone ever again.

**  
**Besides, she was sure that activities like she had engaged into at Furinkan high would be highly punishable at College. And she had no intention to go into jail, thank you very much. No, she would erase all proof of her activities here, which would be a piece of cake for the soon to be ex-Ice queen of Furinkan High.

**  
**Her older sister had been right too, it _would_ be a weight off of her soul too, and money was not everything. They'd find other ways to keep the money flowing, and if her father had to teach classes again to do so, so be it.

**  
**Hmm, maybe she could convince Nodoka to threaten Genma into helping out too. Yes, resorting to blackmail in a case like that was surely no sin, and probably even auntie would approve of it in face of the greater good. It would more be like poetic justice to get the freeloader to work. And it would be so much fun to see the useless idiot squirm.

**  
**Nodding to herself she got up, left her office and locked the door. Then she made her way home, all the while thinking of how Genma would react. That would surely be funny.

**  
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**  
**When Nabiki returned home, one hour later than Akane, Nodoka and Soun were seated in the sitting room, while Genma-panda was playing with a tire in the yard as much as his bandages allowed. He was so absorbed in his useless activity that he hadn't even noticed her. Feh. Some martial artist he was.

**  
**She shook her head. How could this man always harp on his son about being in cursed form all the time when he was a panda more often than a man? And caused Ranma to change half of the time? What a hypocrite.But then she mused that it was not a bad thing in his case that he stayed a panda. Genma-panda could not talk so much nonsense, as his stupid signs could be ignored any time.

**  
**Apparently Nodoka and Soun were discussing Kasumi. ..."she will be a man now half of the time. You must face it, Soun. You now have a half-time son named Yoshiro Tendo, and I am sure that he won't go back to how it was. I had a hard time in accepting that Ranma is now my daughter as well as my son. But I do _now_, Soun, because there is no other way. And from now on everyone has to help in the household. Think, it could even be that they don't return for a longer amount of time than the three months. And with the curse, Kasumi can never be a traditional woman again. Nor do I believe that she would _want_ to. She is now half-time man, and once she has gotten used to this, do you think she will be a traditional woman any more? I doubt it. Highly."

**  
**Soun nodded slowly. What Nodoka had said made sense. He sighed. "I see your point, Nodoka. And if you can accept that you have a part-time daughter then I can accept that I have a part-time son. And who knows, maybe those two part-timers will hit it off." he said in a dreamy voice.

**  
**Nodoka giggled. "So you noticed too! I think that everyone beside Shampoo did. And maybe Genma. Those two were so cute together! And with their opposite curses…" she trailed off with a dreamy look on her face.

**  
**Then, when she had returned to reality she was earnest once more. "But Soun... this time no pressuring them once they return. You saw to what it led last time. If Genma or you try anything in this regard you will see me angry. And you don't want that, do you, Soun?" she asked sweetly.

**  
**Nabiki, who was standing in the hallway, secretly watched the conversation and smirked. There was much more to Nodoka than she would ever have thought. How the Saotome matriarch was pushing her fathers' buttons was a remarkable display.

**  
**And predictably Soun gulped and sputtered. "O... of course not! Heh, I would not even dream of repeating my past mistakes, that I swore to myself. But my old friend over there may be another matter..." he said sighing.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch smirked confidently, not unlike Ranma did when in a fight. Nabiki noticed that Ranma had obviously inherited a lot more from Nodoka than only the remarkable resemblance to her mother in her female form. "Let that be my worry, Soun. If he tries something stupid he gets to know my displeasure. Remember that time six months before the training trip dearest and Ranma undertook and how Genma could not visit or train for two months?" Soun nodded. "_That _was due to my displeasure. And should he do anything idiotic he _will_ get a repeat performance that'll make the original seem like a walk in the park. And yes, yesterday _was_ harmless in comparison." she said evilly.

**  
**Soun gulped, and Nabiki's respect for Mrs. Saotome grew. The lady was really no one to be treated lightly, and one should evidently think twice before crossing her. Yes, someone like her could be an excellent ally. Smirking to herself she audibly closed the door and called, "Tadaima!"

**  
**"Hello, Nabiki." called Nodoka, and Soun smiled at his daughter. "How was your day, daughter?"

**  
**Nabiki smiled. "Profitable. And aside from that very interesting. Kuno, Tatewaki that is, collapsed this morning before class. I called the ambulance and they took him to the hospital. They suspect poisoning. Other than that, my day was quite okay."

**  
**Nodoka and Soun looked at each other. "Poison?" Nodoka asked. "Do they have a suspect already?"

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter shook her head. "No, it's too early, and besides, I have no information just yet. But I have set someone on the case to investigate. And I already have a suspicion who could have poisoned him."

**  
**"Who?" her father asked curiously.

**  
**"2,000 Yen." she said in a level voice and held her hand out. Only the twinkle in her right eye betrayed her joke, and only Nodoka caught it and had to hide a smirk herself.

**  
**Nearly in reflex Soun reached for his wallet, until the tone his daughter had used registered. Nabiki and Nodoka fell over laughing, while Soun looked unamused at the joke at his cost. "_Very_ funny, daughter. So, who _do _you suspect?"

**  
**Nabiki sat down, joining the others. "Kodachi. I have always suspected that she is poisoning him, but I never had proof."

**  
**"Kodachi? Isn't that this strange girl who is craving after my child? The one with that... weird laughter and the black rose petals?" Nodoka asked.

**  
**"The very same." Nabiki nodded. "The Black Rose of St. Hebereke. And ever since she returned to live with Tatewaki his behaviour has become increasingly... delusional. I always thought that she was behind it and it might just be that she has gone too far this time. I think she wanted to test a new poison but it might have been too strong. And if I'm right the authorities have to take up an ascertainment ex offio. Not even Principal Coconut with all his influence in the ward will be able to do anything against that."

**  
**Nodoka looked worried. "She poisons her own brother? And such a person is still on the loose?"

**  
**Nabiki nodded sadly. "The girl is insane. As in pathologically insane. Don't fret now, auntie, but Kodachi has also poisoned Ranma in the past. Repeatedly. In fact so often, that Ranma has acquired immunity against most poisons. Which is also why he survived Akane's cooking so much better than for example Ryoga. Remember that time?"

**  
**Soun nodded sagely while Nodoka silently steamed. "This... this_ person_... has _poisoned _my child? And no one has done anything against it?"

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter nodded once more. "As said, the influence of the loony Principal who is incidentally their father is really strong in this ward. I could do nothing against it. But..."

**  
**Suddenly her cell-phone rang, and Nabiki excused herself. "Moshi moshi. What? It _was_ poison? Nearly _deadly_! But he will survive? Good! _What_? He had _hallucinogenics_ in his bloodstream? _How_ much? No wonder he was acting like a loon! He woke up shortly? What? He _said_ that? And they're taking up ascertainment? Good. Hope they get this loon! Well done, Akemi. Ja ne!"

**  
**She deactivated her cell and turned back to the others. "It was Akemi. Her friends at the hospital found out what happened to Tatewaki Kuno. Apparently he was poisoned with an unknown poison that was nearly strong enough to kill him. Only his superb constitution and his excellent health saved him. The doctors were fortunately able to neutralise the poison with a broad spectrum antidote. But they also found something else in their examinations of his blood. A hallucinogenic. And a quite potent one. He had enough in his bloodstream that it was a small wonder that he could still differ between people and inanimate objects! Now the police are taking up ascertainment, because Tatewaki woke up briefly and asked '_Dachi, what are you doing with my lunch? Oh, if it's a new sauce then add some more. I'm hungry.'_ I hope they get that insane bitch Kodachi!"

**  
**"Oh my Kami-sama," Nodoka exclaimed, "she poisoned my Ranma and she poisoned her own brother? This crazy girl must be locked away from society! And they would do good to throw the key away! I hope the police will get her."

**  
**Nabiki and Soun nodded, while Genma-panda was still playing with the tire, displaying his usual usefulness. None. "Me too. I hope... oh shit!" she suddenly exclaimed and her face went white.

**  
**"What is it, daughter?" Soun asked.

**  
**"Dad, Kodachi may be insane, but she is _really_ well trained in Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics. She would probably cream a normal police force. They'll need really good police officers with martial arts knowledge, or Kodachi might _kill_ them!" Nabiki exclaimed.

**  
**"Is she really _that_ dangerous?" Soun asked.

**  
**Nabiki nodded empathically. "She is crazy and unpredictable. Totally erratic, but really good in her martial arts. I better place a call to the police and warn them."

**  
**And Nabiki did just that. It took some real patience, but finally she was able to break through the bureaucracy when she demanded Captain Tanaka, whose son and daughter both attended Furinkan High and who Nabiki knew personally.

**  
**Captain Tanaka listened intently and thanked her for the warning. He knew that Nabiki Tendo could be trusted, and thus he ordered the team which had originally been sent to the Kuno Estate back and sent their new, specially trained force, which only consisted of martial artists, on their way. He only hoped that they would be good enough.

**  
**The answer came twenty minutes later. The team of martial artists consisting of three men and two women had acquired some injuries, as the suspect had fought quote 'like a lunatic tiger on steroids', but finally they had been able to subdue her and were bringing her in to be questioned.

**  
**That was good news, and now to the team which should turn everything topsy-turvy at the Kuno Estate. Silently the Captain cheered. His son and his daughter both attended Furinkan High too and had to endure a lot of hardships from the idiotic Principal Kuno. And the idiotic haircuts had only been some of them.

**  
**But until now they had never had enough in their grip to justify a house raid. Luckily this had changed now, and with a big smirk the Captain placed the call and gave the team the go-ahead.

**  
**What they found was astonishing.

**  
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**  
**Nabiki was still seated in the comfy cushions of the sitting room, together with Nodoka, Soun and now Genma, back in human form. Nodoka had related to Genma what was going on, and the four, except Akane, who was still grounded and in her room, were keeping themselves busy as they were waiting for news.

**  
**As auntie had repeatedly glared at Genma and had also repeatedly fingered her katana the Saotome patriarch had considered it wiser not to even breath wrongly. Nabiki had smirked at that, and she really hoped that auntie would give the fat baka panda a few more good dressing downs in the future. It was just so funny and poetic to see the loudmouthed Genma Saotome so docile.

**  
**Sipping her tea, as it was too late for coffee, Nabiki watched the display of her cell-phone and willed it to ring. But the stupid thing remained stubborn.Finally, and some cups of tea later the cell-phone rang. It was Captain Tanaka. "Moshi moshi?" Nabiki asked.

**  
**_"This is Captain Tanaka. Once more thank you for your warning. This could have been a bad scrape had our normal team tried to detain Ms. Kuno, and I owe you for the information you provided. We had no data that the suspect was this… dangerous. As it is, even two of our specialists have been mildly injured and need medical attention. But I digress. What we found at the estate was... enlightening."_ the Captain said.

**  
**"What did you find, Captain?"

**  
**_"Our searching team turned everything upside down, and it found what apparently is the lab of Ms. Kuno. Half of the substances alone are forbidden, and quite a lot of them are deadly. Then my men searched the greenhouses and found further incriminating material. Not even her father with all his influence and money will be able to get her out of this. She is presently in a cell under high security where she will be held until we can question her. But we are confident that she won't be on the loose for a long time."_

**  
**"Good to hear that, Captain. Thank you for the call."

**  
**_"You're welcome." _he said and hung up.

**  
**Once she had laid her cell-phone back onto the table Nabiki began to explain, and soon bright smiles appeared on the faces of Nodoka, Soun and even Genma. Finally that crazy loon was out of their hair. It seemed as if this had been the last they had seen of Kodachi. Things were now looking up in Nerima.

**  
**But silently Nabiki wondered, if Kodachi would really be committed this time. She herself had tried everything in the past, so it could not be ruled out, that money and influence would again achieve victory over law and order. Sighing to herself she wondered how Ranma and Kasumi were doing at the Masakis'...

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	15. ‘A walk in the park’

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 15: 'A walk in the park'**

**  
**Kasumi and Ranma headed to the West from the training grounds. Their destination was now Okayama, the town Tenchi had been born and grown up. The Saotome youth hoped that Tenchi had not moved ever since they had written each other last, but he figured that he had to risk it. Not that he would tell that Kasumi. He'd cross this bridge if and when he had to.

**  
**Rather than taking the direct approach and use the train to get to Okayama, Ranma and Kasumi had decided to travel by padding it, to enjoy the nature and sights. After all, this was a trip to self, and where could one come in touch with oneself better than in nature? And the means of transportation was actually very satisfying for a certain Kasumi Tendo.

**  
**Meaning: Ranma was carrying Kasumi in his arms, much to her delight, and running rapidly without breaking a sweat. Which occasionally caused disbelieving stares from people they passed by, but considering Ranma's speed the two cursed individuals did not care.

**  
**At the moment they were crossing over from the Mlao planes near Higashi-Yamato to the next bigger city at the outskirts of the Tokyo prefecture, Oume, to be exact, their destination for the day. Kasumi and Ranma were enjoying the sights and nature around them, if they were not crossing through a city, that is. And even those had their occasional sights.

**  
**As they had to cross quite a few cities on their way through Tokyo prefecture, Ranma always tried to take the indirect routes that contained as much nature as possible. On their first day they had made good way and had actually managed to reach their destination Oume, and to save money Ranma and Kasumi had pitched up their tents in the wilderness around Oume after the pigtailed martial artist had scouted the area for any dangers.

**  
**Strangely enough the odd downpour had changed the two into their cursed forms just before they had reached Oume. Slowly, and mostly because of Kasumi (who was 'suffering' the same fate), Ranma found the unexpected changes easier. They still annoyed him, because one could never be prepared when one would change next.

**  
**One of the most irritating factors of his curse was the sheer difference in sizes between the forms. As a girl Ranma was barely 5 feet tall, whereas his guy form was nearly 6 feet tall as of now. The difference in reach and size was enormous for a martial artist, and it had reassured Ranma somewhat when Cologne had told him that his girl-form would actually hit a growth spurt or two once he'd stay a girl for a longer duration of time. But right now he was enjoying snogging Kasumi as a guy too much.

**  
**Being kissed as a girl still felt somewhat odd, but Ranma was getting used to it more and more. And it sure had a lot to do with the fact that Kasumi-otoko was a very good kisser. Besides, kissing Kasumi, regardless of the form was always wonderful…

**  
**After their tents had been standing they had set up a bonfire, heated up a kettle and changed back after some snogging while they waited for the water to be heated. Then they had continued the snogging. But one thing remained: Ranma still had difficulties to display his feelings for Kasumi when they were in company of people, and Kasumi mused that it would be hard to convince Ranma of the opposite.

**  
**She understood very well that he always had had to avoid showing emotions and affections because of the many different girls who were battling over him, and had he shown a positive response for one specific girl, a clobbering had usually followed. Ranma was a 'burned child' in that regard, and though she understood it, it disappointed Kasumi somewhat that they could not act like any other normal couple in public.

**  
**Not to exchange kisses or holding hands whenever she wanted to was making her sad, but for the sake of Ranma she was willing to wait. For she knew that it would be more than worth it. What they had discovered together in the last few days could only be described as the greatest thing ever for them. Kasumi knew that this had the potential to become a great love, probably the one greatest love of her life.

**  
**She knew that she already loved Ranma, loved him more than she had ever loved anyone else. The infatuation she had felt for Dr. Tofu was nothing in comparison, as if someone would compare a rowboat to a nuclear-powered battleship.

**  
**Ranma was showing emotions and affections when they were alone, loads of them. She barely remembered a time when she had felt so happy, so alive. Whenever she looked at Ranma she had the distinct feeling of a million butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She knew all the medical terms for the state of mind, but the dry theory paled verily in comparison to the real thing.

**  
**Kasumi had also thought about what her life would be like at Ranma's side; she had realised that it would be twofold, if the future would bring what she hoped. On one hand she hoped to go to college and become a doctor, which would be hard even on her. And on the other hand she'd be the support Ranma needed, the one who'd be there for Ranma, regardless of the form, regardless what Ranma decided for his future.

**  
**The Tendo girl also noticed how good it was doing her to be out of the house, and that was something she'd never have expected. It was so much fun to travel with Ranma, since he (occasionally she) told her a lot of things he'd experienced throughout his travels with his father.

**  
**Naturally they had found time to explore their feelings further, and out in the wilderness it was all no problem for Ranma to show his feelings, and when both separated into their respective tents after a heavy snogging session, both longed for the other to stay.

**  
**But decency had to be kept, and thus they slept in different tents. While each cursed individual was thinking of the other, sleep slowly claimed them.

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**  
**The next morning started out wonderfully which Ranma noticed as soon as he had he crept out of his sleeping bag and out of the tent. The air was mildly fresh, and it promised to turn into a beautiful spring day. Ranma smiled to himself as he thought about his Kasumi, and he wondered to himself how much had happened lately.

**  
**For a change some very good things had happened to him. A now loveless engagement (at least on his part, after he had really tried everything in his book) had been dissolved, he had not been clobbered or malleted in days, and the absence of the former constant attacks made itself noticeable. He had slept much better and also felt much better than ever before. And the reason for all this, directly and indirectly, was sleeping peacefully in the tent next to his.

**  
**He could barely grasp how lucky he was. Kasumi was the most beautiful, caring, understanding (and so much more adjectives that he could not list them all) person and he loved her. He knew that he could not say it out loud just yet as some of his fathers' teachings were just too deeply ingrained into him; but some time he would be able to, and he was living for this day.

**  
**The day when her brown eyes would gleam even more, when her smile would shine even more brilliantly and she'd just say 'I love you too.' This thought, as nice and warming as it was brought also the negative side to fore, as he had to think about his father. The reason for most of his problems.

**  
**Due to oyaji, he had been socially inept for a long time, only ever so slowly was it getting better, because of Kasumi's help and his own intelligence. He knew that he'd a lot to catch up, but he had vowed to himself that he'd work hard to give Kasumi and himself the best possible life. He'd finish highschool with the (for him) best possible grades, and his father could harp at him as much as he wanted that it was a distraction to the art.

**  
**In fact, Ranma supposed that everything his father had kept from him had been done so with the intention to keep him ignorant, thus easier to manipulate. He loved his father, for which reason he did not know, but it was the case. But Genma Saotome was a lazy tub of lard. Once he'd be back in Nerima he'd show oyaji how the wind blows, Ranma style.

**  
**Ranma mused to himself what he'd do about Ukyo while he did a warm-up kata. He knew that his mom and Nabiki would look into it, but it was also his problem and he wanted to find a solution too. Suddenly smiling he nodded to himself. He'd include Kasumi in the approach to solve the problem. After all, did not couples solve their problems together?

**  
**After exercising for half an hour Ranma felt his hunger grow, thus he decided to look if Kasumi was about ready to wake up yet. He carefully scanned her aura and after some moments he nodded to himself. She was ready to wake up and was at present in a dream phase. Maybe kissing her awake was a good idea, he thought to himself with a devilish grin.

**  
**As silently as possible he approached the tent and equally silent Ranma worked the zipper of the tent. Holding his breath he crawled into the tent of his sleeping girlfriend, and once he was in the tent he surveyed Kasumi's sleeping form. The view which was presented to him took his breath away. Even in her sleep, with uncombed hair and everything she still was the most beautiful woman on this planet. Silently he thanked Kami-sama for this wonderful girl, and if he could have looked into Kami-samas office he would have seen the Allfather smile.

**  
**Ever so slowly Ranma leant down towards Kasumi's mouth, and as tenderly as possible he pressed his mouth on hers and kissed her softly. Apparently it was to her liking, for she responded in kind involuntarily, and an unconscious smile appeared on her face. Ranma deepened the kiss and put all of his feelings for this woman before him in it, and gradually Kasumi awoke.

**  
**Her first thought was a surprised 'Oh my!', but after the initial surprise at being woken up with a kiss she reciprocated in kind, this time consciously. A two-minute lip-lock later Kasumi had to come up for air, and a content smile was plastered on her face. "This was the most beautiful way to be awoken I have ever experienced, Ra-kun. Thank you for this."

**  
**Ranma smiled back. "It was my pleasure, Kas-chan."

**  
**Afterwards the lovebirds engaged in a mid-morning snogging session, until Ranma's stomach protested loudly, demanding nourishment. Kasumi smiled and together they got up and prepared breakfast from the supplies they had brought with them in Ranma's huge backpack.

**  
**Once they had eaten Ranma and Kasumi repacked the tents into the backpack and headed for the inner city of Oume. They were making good progress, and most of the time Ranma managed not to be too homesick. After all, he considered the Tendo house his home, the first real home he had had after ten long years on the road, so some feelings of homesickness were understandable.

**  
**Ranma also missed his mom. He'd only come to know her for somewhat more than five months now after over ten years of absence; the mom she was now turning out to be after she had him back was much more to his liking than the strange woman he had come to know as Ranko Tendo.

**  
**There and then she had also had her nice sides but she had acted as if she expected her son to be something akin to Happosai Jr. It was a good thing that she had changed her views; with the whole manliness crap off of his shoulders he was really relieved of a heavy load. He wouldn't have thought that it would make such a big difference, but it did. He was now feeling more carefree, even as a she. Even being in girl-form began not to bother him so much any more.

**  
**A while later Ranma and Kasumi were walking hand in hand until they reached the outer skirts of Oume, but when they reached a more populated area he let go of her hand. He noticed the disappointed look on her face, but he could not jump over his shadow. Not just yet. The phantoms of his past in Nerima, which was a very recent past, were still too fresh.

**  
**Whenever he had shown physical affection to any of the girls that had been chasing him, even an innocent smile, the others had jumped him instantly and had demanded attention or had clobbered him. How often had he just wanted to explode, telling them to bugger off in moments like those. No, that he did not miss at all.

**  
**For the next three months or more depending on the welcome they'd receive at Tenchis, this would be the past. To himself Ranma had vowed that he'd never let his past become his future ever again. Ranma felt how he relaxed more and more as the days progressed, and for the first time, due to his outside view he noticed that the levels of stress he had existed before had really been incredible.

**  
**Now he felt that he was slowly getting some control over his life, and he vowed that he'd never return to a life like that, come hell or high water. And should stupid pops interfere, it would be kapowie to the moon. Bah, baka pops and his stupid ideas and convictions! Should he live by them and get beaten up by mom, which was something the baka panda deserved anyway.

**  
**But that was now over and done with, now he'd just enjoy life as much as possible without constant interference. Walking side by side the two followed the signs that led them to the inner city. And just like in any city there always were people who watered their beautiful garden. And once more Kasumi got firsthand proof that the curse did indeed turn its victim into one hell of a water magnet.

**  
**The two barely had the time to exclaim a "Hey!", before they were hit full force by a ray of water. A middle-sized and middle-aged friendly looking woman leant over her fence, and looked at them in an apologetic way. "Oh my, did I catch you with that? I'm sorry!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko looked at each other, then smiled and shook their heads at the woman. "No harm done, lady." Ranma said with a smile.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded his assent, and with a wave at the woman the two continued their way. Actually, changing together was not so bad, and it had to be noted on the funny side that they did now really make the perfect couple. They even stayed a couple after they had changed into their cursed forms.

**  
**Silently Ranma snickered to herself as she looked at Kasumi-otoko, which caused the latter to raise a brow at his companion. "What is so funny?" he finally asked, after Ranma had snickered for half a minute.

**  
**"Oh, nothing," was the answer, "only that you look good all wet like this." she said with more guffaws. "And when I compared your handsome self to stupid pops when he gets doused I just lost it." Ranma said with a fresh bout of snickers.

**  
**Now Kasumi-otoko joined it. The mental image of Genma Saotome, both in panda-form and when he was human, wet from head to toe, was just too funny. He had seen it often enough himself and Genma had always looked remarkably like a doused panda, in both forms. How often had she thought the same thing when he as a she and had changed the panda into a human with the kettle of warm water.

**  
**Before, he had always done the polite thing and had displayed no outward sign of amusement so as not to laugh at the cost of an honoured guest, but now that he was far away from home he could give in to the hilarity. "Yes," he said with the beginnings of laughter, "your father does indeed look utterly ridiculous when he gets wet. Stupid doused panda… hah hah hah!" he finally exclaimed and half collapsed in laughter.

**  
**That the people who passed them by started looking strangely at them did not matter much to the two, laughing about the idiot panda was just too much fun. Finally they collapsed into each others arms, but after some moments Kasumi-otoko felt Ranma stiffen. With a sigh Kasumi-otoko thought that she'd now separate again from him as they were in public, for affections in public still special rules applied. Namely: no affections in public.

**  
**However, a sudden inspiration struck Kasumi-otoko and he half-grinned to himself. That had worked before, and who knew, maybe it would work again. "Ranma-chan, I know that you want to escape from this hug but I enjoy it very much. I also know that your father taught you that showing emotions and affections, especially in public, is something that is not done. And for your father, who probably does not show any emotion towards your mother outside from situations when they're in private, that may be okay. But you, you are not your father. In the last few months you have realised that so many of your fathers teachings were not worth the oxygen he needed to voice them, and this is not different. It is right that emotions can be a hindrance in a fight if you let them rule you, like it often happened with Ryoga or my little sister in the past." he said while softly stroking her silky red hair. "However, in your case this is not true. Infact, the opposite is true, you're TOO much in control of your emotions."

**  
**He sighed before he continued and Ranma looked up at him with questioning eyes, wanting him to continue. "But the mistake you are making is that you follow this teaching even in any other situation except for when we are in private. That is not the right way, my Ranma-chan. We are a couple now, and I love you very much. And people who love each other don't shy away from showing affections or emotions to each other. So what do you think are rules for public behaviour for, hmm?" he asked with a smile. "Holding hands, kissing and hugging in public is nothing any sane person would frown upon, my love. There is nothing perverted in this. It is accepted by society, and also needed by society, for love and its display are a great inspiration for others. Forget that you are in cursed form, for it is the person inside that counts." the cursed Tendo child said with a smile and paused to take a breath.

**  
**"Also in public, Ranma-chan. And forget suppressing your emotions outside from your fights and battles, for if you do it will always limit you and how far we will get with our relationship. I know this is very hard for you but maybe this will help: each time you think about shying away from me in public think about how the panda would react if you do the exact opposite of what he wanted you to do. Remember, in battles it is more than okay to suppress your emotions, but aside from that, it is not always necessary. Now how would the panda react if we, say, kissed in public? Imagine his face."

**  
**Ranma first scrunched her face at the concept but she could not deny that what Kasumi-otoko had said was the truth. If she would always suppress her emotions in every day life they would never get as far as they could. Did she not strive to get the best results in everything? She wanted this to work out, for this was the first great reciprocated love she felt. As things looked the only one she'd need for the rest of her life to be happy. And this was the woman, eh, man at the moment, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

**  
**She loved Kasumi like she had never loved anyone before, that she knew now. She had not loved Akane this much, not even during the phases when they had had something resembling a relationship. Did she really want to risk losing all this because of the stupid fat panda and his even more stupid teachings? What good had his teachings done her outside from martial arts anyway?

**  
**All that he had taught her outside from martial arts was utter rubbish. That she had realised with the help of Kasumi. Pops teachings and convictions about women were antiquated and so misogynistic that it was not even remotely funny, and she vowed to show him his place should he ever treat her that way again. Because of him she had been largely socially inept, and fitting into society had been next to impossible for her thanks to him.

**  
**Honestly with how she had been brought up by him, the idiot had expected her, or rather her male side, to marry one of the Tendo girls and have a fulfilled life? How on earth should an ignorant macho stud who knew nothing about women except that they were apparently useless have a fulfilled and happy marriage?

**  
**She had to admit to herself that she, or rather her male side, had been exactly this, an ignorant macho stud with next to no knowledge about women. Her confidence and attitude had attracted a lot of women, sure, but she had not known how to deal with them. To be honest to herself, it was incredible how much she had not known, and only ever so slowly she was catching up with normal youths her age. For this alone the panda deserved a lesson he'd not forget any time soon. In the meantime her mother could tell him her 'greetings' for her, she thought with an evil smile.

**  
**Slowly she began to learn more about women and what they wanted, and what her father had taught was surely not included in any of it. Kasumi was right, she really should shoot his stupid convictions out of the window. Could it really hurt to show affections? Would anyone jump her if she kissed Kasumi? And what he had said really began to crack her up.

**  
**The mental image of a red-faced panda who was waving his stupid signs frantically, which read # _What the hell do you think you're doing?_ #, and her answer "Enjoying a nice, public kiss with the person I love." caused her to snicker.

**  
**Pop would really blow a fuse, which was exactly what he deserved. She snickered to herself at the mental image for some time, then her face scrunched up in determination. "Everything you said is right, Kasumi. I know that, but it will be hard on me to overcome what which ruled my life for more than ten years. You understand that, don't you?" she asked with a cute look on her face.

**  
**He nodded, and smiled down on her. "Yes, I understand it perfectly. And it would be my pleasure to help you overcome it, little by little. Take as much time as you need, my Ranma-chan, I will be waiting for you." he said, and the love he felt for the redhead before him showed in his smile.

**  
**Ranma smiled back thankfully. "Thank you. I'm glad that you understand me. That was always the problem with Akane. She knew of my upbringing and she knew how hard it was for me to show emotions and affections at all. Despite that she always thought I'd be doing 'it' with the other girls. Why? Why did she trust me so little? It makes no sense."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko deepened the hug and stroked her hair again. "I know it is hard to understand, but little sis really did not know how to deal with you. All that she knew about boys thanks to Kuno was that they are perverts who wanted to have their way with her. That you did end the morning fights did also not sit well with her for it undermined her status as a martial artist. She wanted to solve her problems by herself, but then you came along and defeated the mob single-handedly and in a way that made it clear that they better not mess with you. I myself still don't fully understand why she did not trust you, and maybe she does not know herself. But you can rest assured that you tried everything to make it work between you. It was just not meant to be."

**  
**Slowly Ranma nodded and got out of the hug. "I guess you are right." she said and looked in his brown eyes. 'Little steps.' she thought to herself, and tentavely reached out with her hand. Delighted but carefully, Kasumi-otoko stretched his own hand out, and when the hands met he took her much smaller hand into his larger one.

**  
**His smile said 'Thank you times one million' and Ranma smiled back shyly. Suddenly a flash of a camera could be seen and felt, and when the stars dancing in their visions had cleared they saw a woman of estimately fifty years of age, whose digi-cam was dangling from her neck. She was apparently a tourist, and from her looks she could have been European or American. And the smile she was wearing reached her eyes. "You two just looked so cute together, so I had to take a photo. I hope you don't mind." she said in English.

**  
**Ranma, who had always pretended to be very bad in English understood perfectly, and that due to the fact that she had learned English as an international language on their trip early on. But upon arriving in Nerima everyone had thought her a dumb jock, and why should she have showed them her true abilities when a passing grade had been more than suffice? She'd let them live with their believes of her, and passing grades had always been suffice.

**  
**And also Kasumi-otoko who had always been very good in English understood perfectly and answered for them. "Thank you. No, we don't mind. But would it be possible to get a copy of the photo?" he asked politely.

**  
**The woman nodded, and in the next minutes Kasumi-otoko gave the woman his mail-address, one of his throw-away-addresses to be exact, and the woman promised to mail the photo. With a wave and a smile they departed, and Kasumi-otoko took secret delight in the fact that they were still holding hands. Or maybe not so secret, gauging from his facial expression, which showed even more happiness when Ranma showed a shy smile herself…

**  
**This was a vast progress for Ranma and Kasumi-otoko mused to himself if it would be possible to get her male side to do the same. It was still much easier for Ranma to show emotions and affections as a female, and it would probably take a long time to remedy all what Genma Saotome had caused.

**  
**Should Fate decide that they'd end up married in the future, which he dearly hoped, then he'd assure that Genma would have no hand in the upbringing of their future children. The man was absolutely unfit as a parent, and as such, untold images popped in Kasumi-otoko's head of what he could do to their own kids.

**  
**Moments later he smiled at his thoughts. He was already thinking of having kids with Ranma. Had anyone told him this a few months back, he would have declared the person insane. It was funny how things and outlooks changed.

**  
**Still smiling and holding hands, the two progressed on their way. Currently they were keeping an eye open for a place to rest, as Ranmas stomach had made itself noticeable, rather loudly. When it had done so she had blushed, but Kasumi-otoko had only laughed and waved it aside.

**  
**His comment had been "I know how much food you need, and honestly, I'd be worried on a day when you said that you had no appetite."

**  
**This had caused Ranma to blush even more, and grumbling cutely she had walked on. Together they stocked up on their supplies in one of the local supermarkets, and once they were done they really wanted to find a place to relax. And finally they found a sign that told them that a public park was only one mile away, and both cursed individuals looked at each other and nodded. That sounded like an ideal resting place.

**  
**As they walked towards their destination, watching the houses they passed by, Kasumi-otoko voiced something that had been on his mind. "Ranma-chan, I have now been a man on and off for somewhat more than a week, and I admit that the boxers are useful. However, they're not the ideal solution, for after some time as a woman they simply get… uncomfortable. If you stayed a girl for as much time as me you'd notice."

**  
**Ranma looked puzzled at Kasumi-otoko. "What do you mean?" she asked clueless. "I have never felt anything wrong with my boxers."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko blushed. "If you stay a girl for some time they get… ahh… really uncomfortable." he tried to explain. Still clueless look. "Okay, I'll be blunt: those things ride up something awful. And it's uncomfortable as hell. But as you never stayed a girl for too long in the past you never noticed."

**  
**Ranma thought about what he had said. **'Ride up something awful… ohh, he means up 'there'… oh my!'** she thought, and blushed.

**  
**This reaction showed Kasumi-otoko that Ranma had finally understood. "I… see." she said. "But what do we do about it?"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. "Well, as we wanted to go shopping anyway, why don't we go into a store and look for alternatives? Surely there must be something else aside from boxers. Something that is more fitting for someone who is both male and female." he suggested.

**  
**Ranma pouted. "My beautiful boxers…" she complained.

**  
**Kasumi-otokos smile deepened. "How about a practical demonstration of how uncomfortable boxers really get after a while? Let's speed it up. How about we go into that park, find a public bathroom and you pull up those boxers a bit? This way you could see what happens after some hours. I dare you to do it."

**  
**Ranma looked thoughtful. "And what do I get out of it?"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled. She was leaning. "A nice and romantic kiss. Maybe more. You decide the forms."

**  
**Ranma pretended to think, but in all honesty, as love-starved as she still was this was nothing she had to think about for long. A smile graced her beautiful face, and she nodded. "Deal."

**  
**Together they went into the park, and like any good park it had a public bathroom, even though it was covered by odd graffities. Ranma looked at the barely readable signs and actually went to the women's side without complains, fact that surprised Kasumi-otoko somewhat.

**  
**Then Ranma entered the bathroom, and when she saw that it was empty she motioned for Kasumi-otoko to follow her. "You can change back already, and I will prove you wrong." she said, and went to a cubicle.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko grinned, used the warm water of the sink to change back and waited. Ranma did not take long, and moments later an "Eep!" could be heard, followed by hastily rustling of clothes.

**  
**A while later a blushing and somewhat disgruntled Ranma exited the cubicle. Her chagrined comment was "You were right. Those things do ride up something very awful. Yuck! So boxers are a big no no for girls. But what's the alternative for the time after the lock comes off? Guys can't wear panties. Hmm, maybe briefs… yeah, that could work." she mused to herself.

**  
**Absently she went to the sink and washed her hands in warm water, turning back into a he. Shacking himself out of his musings, Ranma looked at a smug looking Kasumi, who had a 'See, didn't I tell you' expression on her face. "Okay, okay, you were right and I was wrong. As for the forms, I'd say its okay as it is. But we should leave here before anyone comes in and sees a man in here. They'd probably think I'm a pervert or something." he said with a shudder.

**  
**Kasumi nodded, but inwardly she sighed. It would apparently take a long time until the conditioned reflexes, reactions and thought pattern of Ranma would change from what Akane had made them back into something even akin to normal. But she'd see to it that they would. Her Ranma was already on a good way, and she'd be there for him and her all the way.

**  
**Together they exited the bathroom, and once they were outside the building Ranma looked around to make sure that nobody was nearby. Then, and only then he leant in to kiss Kasumi and despite the fact that she was disappointed by the fact that he ensured that nobody was around she enjoyed the kiss very much. But it was obvious that she'd really need a lot of time to get Genma's teaching out of Ranma's head…

**  
**Hand in hand they were slowly walking through the park, and when a sudden downpour occurred they just looked at each other and smiled. Changing together was actually fun, and it had been a very new and interesting sensation to change while one was holding hands. Ranma's strong and big hand which had formerly been the one 'protecting' Kasumi was now in the reversed role, and to be honest, it really did not feel so bad to be protected.

**  
**Why had stupid pops always claimed that a true martial artist did not need any source of comfort if it felt as good as this? Hmm, maybe it had all been because he had secretly missed mom, and burying it so deeply had been his only chance to forget it. But why had he dragged her down with him too? Did it make her any less of a person because she felt secure and protected? Hell no! Not to be always on guard and actually relaxing for once did her very good, and she felt how she leant into Kasumi.

**  
**They were so absorbed in their thoughts and enjoyed the moment, so that they did not notice the approach of several newcomers. Suddenly Ranma felt the painful sensation of being yanked back roughly by the hair. She barely had the time to yell "What the hell!" when an ugly looking youth whirled her around. "Heh heh heh, look what we have gotten ourselves here. Fresh meat and it walked so willingly into our park." the apparent leader of the gang said with a disgusting smirk. "And what a darn cute bitch she is…"

**  
**He was dark-haired and tall, nearly as tall as Kasumi-otoko in male form, but ugly as hell. And to her horror Ranma noticed that one of the other gang members, they were about ten in numbers, had pressed a knife to Kasumi-otokos throat. That's why his protests had been cut short. And there was no one in the area who could help them.

**  
**That figured. She was on her own, as usual. As inconspicuous as possible she surveyed their captors. All were clad in leather with some strange icon or symbol on the right shoulder, and every single one of them was ugly as hell. And to say that their leader was just ugly would really have been an insult to the word and the understatement of the decade.

**  
**And the leer with which he was surveying her gave her the creeps. Compared to this scum Happosai was a saint. "What do you want?" she demanded, embracing the soul of ice.

**  
**The leer of the guys deepened, and made them look like animals. Disgusting animals, Ranma thought, which had to be put behind bars. It was just a great disadvantage that this scum had pressed a knife to the throat of her love.

**  
**Feeling her up, the leader smirked. "What do ya think, cutie? A hot chick like ya that comes willingly inta the park of the Oume Prowlers, and ya ask what we want? Hah hah hah!" he exclaimed, and touched her boobs with a disgusting leer.

**  
**This caused Kasumi-otoko to struggle, as his new male hormones told him that he had to protect his love. However, he could do nothing, and his struggling caused the knife to cut into his throat. When Ranma saw the blood running down the throat of her love she saw red. And not only literally. Feeling her up that she could stand. Happosai had done it often enough. That did not mean that she liked it, but she could tolerate it depending on the situation.

**  
**But that this scum-bag had hurt her love shot the soul of ice right out of the window. What happened next happened too fast for the gang members to follow. At one moment their leader had the cute bitch in his grasp, and in the next moment he was lying on the ground in obvious pain while the redhead had disappeared. And just a second later Kuro, the guy with the knife, was rolling on the floor in pain too.

**  
**Ranma, who had appeared in front of Kasumi-otoko looked at the wound for a moment, and saw that her love was okay. Then she growled, and turned a pair of blazing eyes on the gang members. "You! You are the worst scum on this earth! How dare you threaten us like that! Feeling me up like that, you disgusting animals! Wanted to have your way with me, huh? Wanted to rape me! I'll show ya what messing with me means!" she exclaimed like in righteous fury, just like a fury from hell.

**  
**Now that she was knowledgeable about sex it made what those bastards had wanted to do to her so much worse. In the past she might have been satisfied with putting their lights out without hurting them too much, but that they had planned on raping her made her angry as hell. She had not made the connection between why the boys were interested in her girl-form and what they wanted to do with her for long, but that those perverts and rapists had wanted to take advantage of her incensed her so much that a rage-fit of Akane paled verily in comparison.

**  
**She did not notice that her battle-aura had come out in its full terrifying glory, and for the first time since long the gang members who had always felt so strong and who had gloried in the terror of others felt abject terror themselves. Unwittingly they had released something upon them that was so much more terrible than they were themselves. They would soon learn the lesson that you never wanted to be the catalyst that caused Ranma Saotomes temper to boil over. And right now Ranma was in an honest-to-Kami rage-fit.

**  
**With fiery steps she covered the distance and looked intimidating as all hell. At the same time she made sure that none of the scumbags could get in her back. Her love had fallen back so as not to give the would-be-rapists a chance to catch him and take him as a hostage. And then Ranma blurred into action. This time she did not hold back much, only keeping herself from inflicting lethal damage. Everything else aside from paralyzing those bastards was fair game.

**  
**Bones broke like wood under her blows, and when the gang-leader, who had recovered his wits, threw a knife at her, she just caught it with her right hand and snapped it in two with no apparent effort. Ranma turned her blazing eyes on him. "Now ya know what yer up against. Now ya know what happens ta those who want ta hurt my loved ones or me. And now ya wish that ya had never done it, eh? Now what, ya ask? I will make ya regret the day ya were born, that's what!" she exclaimed.

**  
**In the blink of an eye she covered the distance that separated her from the leader, and moments later the ugly guy was sent flying by a vicious upper-cut landing heavily thirty feet back in a heap, barely conscious. His fellow gang-members looked at their fallen leader in shock, and their shock turned to surprise when they heard loud clapping.

**  
**The racket that had been made had caused several people to come down to the park from their adjacent houses, and one old woman gave Kasumi-otoko a clean hanky. He nodded thankfully, and pressed it on the cut, while he watched the still stunned gang-members. Well, they had picked on the wrong couple.

**  
**The old woman who had given him the hanky looked at him questioningly. "Is she your girlfriend, young man?"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko blushed and nodded. "Yes, and she is really something else. Those bastards over there attacked us and wanted to rape her. Now they're paying the price."

**  
**The woman nodded. "It was high time that somebody did something against those creatures. The police are much too overloaded, and the gang-leader threatened that if anyone of us even tried to call them or get help, that we'd end up worse than dead. This has been going on for over a year, but it looks as if it's finally over."

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded in reply. He had read of cases in which gangs terrorised whole neighbourhoods, but that had been the first time that he had come to experience it firsthand himself. But luckily his love was more than capable of dealing with those scum-bags. "Yes, I only hope that something will be left of those bastards after she is through with them. I have seldom seen her this angry." he said, as he watched how Ranma deflected two attacking gang-members, who had apparently recovered their wits, with ease.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko saw the others that were left of the gang smirk when they saw, how their leader got up. The ugly fellow reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a gun. The cursed Tendo yelled out a warning to his love, but he needn't have to, as she had her guard up.

**  
**Suddenly a fiery aura blazed up around her, and when the leader fired several bullets at Ranma not one did make it through the fiery barrier. Each single bullet was molten lead before it could reach its intended target. The gang-leader checked his weapon to see if he had loaded the correct bullets, but he had. That was not false ammo! Growling he reloaded the weapon and fired once more on the nearing Ranma.

**  
**Once more the bullets were molten lead, but this time the remaining gang-members could actually see how the bullets melted away upon contact with that fiery thing. "Damn, what the freakin hell are ya, ya bitch? Die!" he exclaimed.

**  
**Just as he wanted to load his gun with another round he felt how the weapon was yanked out of his hand like his grip on it was nothing. Moments later he looked into a pair of blazing eyes, and his own eyes widened as the redhead crushed the whole gun with one hand. Just like as if it was made of paper! His instincts told him to back away from this monster-turned-cute-woman, but suddenly he felt that he could not, as he was all of a sudden dangling from a steel grip around his throat.

**  
**Ranma looked at him with fiery eyes. "Ya thought ya could escape yer punishment by shooting me, is that it? Well, think again!" she said and used her Amaguriken speed to inflict as much pain on her would-be-rapist as possible.

**  
**His bones broke like tissue, and when she had dealt with his already ugly face the guy slumped into painful unconsciousness. For good measure she touched a few pressure points on his back with her free hand, and smirked to herself as she thought about the effects they would have.

**  
**Then she let the leader slump down to the ground, and turned to the remaining gang-members, who began to back away in fear. "Run away!" one of them screamed to the others. "She is a monster!"

**  
**The old woman looked up at a smiling Kasumi-otoko and arrived at the correct solution. "She is a martial artist, isn't she? I have watched a news report about martial artists in Nerima, and how often did I wish that only one of them would stop by to deal with those sub-humans. But at even the hint of resistance those animals did awful things to us. Breaking bones was a sport to them, but now they reap what they sew."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. This was a very accurate assessment, especially considering the yelps of pain coming from the gang-members. "Yes, she is a martial artist, and one of the best there are. And yes, we are from Nerima." he said with a sheepish smile.

**  
**The old woman nodded, and Kasumi-otoko winched when he saw his Ranma kick one of the bastards up there. "Every action causes an equal, reciprocated reaction. Though it seems what with how my Ranma is handling them the reaction is unlike stronger. Not that those bastards don't deserve it. Ouch!" he exclaimed, as he watched his Ranma kick one of the other bastards up there.

**  
**And considering the force she had used it was quite likely that something had ruptured. Well, good riddance in that case. In the next ten minutes Ranma beat the remaining gang-members systematically into a painful unconsciousness, and not one of the would-be-rapists went without several broken bones, jaws, noses, black eyes and missing teeth.

**  
**When she was finished, Ranma had been very thorough in punishing the scum-bags, and it had been a special treat for her to use some specific pressure points due to which each and any member of the gang would be unable to perform for half a year. She just loved some of the pressure points Cologne had taught to her. Frowning at her handiwork she returned to her love.

**  
**The pigtailed girl knew that it had been necessary to put a stop to those guys, for what would happen if they happened to encounter a helpless couple, like they apparently had already in the past? It was clear that it had not been the first time that those bastards had ambushed and raped someone. No, it had been necessary. With her actions she had protected the weak, that was the prime and sworn duty of a martial artist.

**  
**Allowing her emotions to come to the fore she could not stop to reprimand herself in her mind how utterly stupid she had been to let her guard down like that. And what had happened? Kasumi had gotten hurt. Again. Some fine martial artist she was, if she could not even protect the one person she loved more than anything else.

**  
**She smiled politely at the people that were standing next to her love with big grins on their faces, but at the moment she only had eyes for Kasumi. She wanted to be sure that he was really okay. With a grim expression she surveyed the cut, and noticed to her relief that her original assessment had been right. The cut was not deep and was actually barely more than a superficial scratch. But what could have happened haunted her.

**  
**Sensing her state of mind Kasumi-otoko reached out and pulled her into a hug. When his arms closed around her, she allowed herself to fall into the embrace. An embrace she felt she did not deserve. Looking up with sad eyes she asked what was on her mind "How can you still hug me after I allowed you to get hurt? How can you still love me?" she asked, and nearly felt like sobbing. But as a true martial artist did not weep she repressed her tears. Crying was weak, and she did not want to be weak. Not in front of all these people.

**  
**Ranma was surprised when she felt a finger force her chin upwards, so that she looked into his eyes. "My Ranma-chan, not you allowed me to get hurt, and it was not you who hurt me. It was those bastards over there. Not you. And aside from that, nothing happened. This," he pointed towards his throat, "is barely a scrape. No, don't fret about what could have happened, because nothing has happened. And that is thanks to you. You saved me, and you saved us. If you had not been, then all these people here," he pointed at the people standing around them, who still wore thankful expressions, "would still be terrorised by those freaks over there. You did nothing wrong, my Ranma-chan."

**  
**The red-haired girl was still not convinced. "But it is my fault that they were able to attack us in the first place! Had I had my guard up…"

**  
**That was as far as she got. Kasumi-otoko laid both his hands on her shoulders. "Ranma, you are only human. Humans are allowed to relax, and that something happened while you did was a coincidence. And much more important, you were able to remedy your felt mistake just by yourself. Even by your own reasoning you did everything a true martial artist would do. You protected the weak, and aside from those guys over there no one got hurt. I'm proud of you, Ranma-chan, and I love you."

**  
**Under the catcalls and whistles of the people around them he gave his love, who blushed beet-red, a tongue-curling kiss, and applause ensued after they came up for air. A still blushing Ranma looked shyly into the round.

**  
**The old woman, who was standing next to them and who had talked to Kasumi-otoko beforehand, extended her hand, and Ranma shook it surprised. "Thank you for saving us from those creatures, Miss. We can not thank you enough for what you did. Would you mind telling us your name so that we can include you in our future prayers to Kami-sama? We want to pray for good luck for you and your boyfriend. You certainly deserve it."

**  
**A now once more blushing Ranma nodded shyly. "It was my pleasure. Guys like that disgust me, and they had to be stopped. My name is Ránmā Saotome, and this is Yoshiro Tendo. I am glad that we could be of help."

**  
**"So you are from Nerima." the old woman mused to herself, and Ranma looked surprised once more. The old woman just smiled at her. "I just told your boyfriend here," two blushing cursed individuals due to the statement, "that I often prayed to Kami-sama to send us one of the martial artists of Nerima. I had watched some of the fights on TV, and it seems as if Kami-sama finally listened to my prayers."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Yes, we are from Nerima. And I say it again, it was our pleasure."

**  
**The old woman, now obviously the spokeswoman of the group, looked at Ranma. "What can we do to reward you, Miss Saotome? I know we can hardly do anything to reward a feat such as this, but let us try." she said with a smile, and many of her companions nodded.

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko just smiled. "There is no need to reward us." Kasumi-otoko said for the two, "Just see to it that those creatures over there get locked up and thrown into the deepest cell so that they may never harm anyone ever again."

**  
**One of the people nodded. "And that will happen. I just called the police, and for a change, they will arrive soon. When I told them that they tried to rape you, tried to shoot you and nearly killed your boyfriend they promised to come within minutes. Well, that was five minutes ago, but knowing the police…" he trailed off with a shrug.

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded. Yes, if the police here was anything like the one they had in Nerima, it would take a while. And it really took ten more minutes. Minutes, which Ranma and Kasumi-otoko spent with talking to the group of people, while Ranma ensured that none of the gang-members got away. But nearly each and every member was still on a painful trip to lala-land, and only in one case she had to induce instant unconsciousness.

**  
**When the police had finally arrived, and they had actually done the sensible thing and had arrived with a larger vehicle and two standard police cars, they took the statements of Ranma, Kasumi-otoko and the statements of those who had seen the happenings to protocol.

**  
**The police captain grimaced when he saw the state his prisoners were in. He looked at Kasumi-otoko. "Did _you_ beat them up so badly?" he asked.

**  
**The cursed Tendo shook his head, and with a chagrined smile Ranma piped up, "I did. Those guys really made me mad, and I flew somewhat off the handle."

**  
**As the captain surveyed the petite redheaded girl he could not hide his surprise. "_You_ did that?" he asked incredulous, and when everyone nodded he had no other choice but to believe them and the redhead. "Umm, mind if I ask, but how does someone, umm, as small as you do something like that?" he asked, and pointed towards the groaning gang-members, who were presently either led or carried towards the bus.

**  
**Ranma looked somewhat chagrined. "I am a martial artist, sir. And I am a lot stronger than I look."

**  
**The captain nodded his head. So much was apparently obvious. Then he remembered something, and surveyed the redheaded girl up close. "Say…" he suddenly said excited, "are you by any chance related to Ranma Saotome, the famous martial artist from Nerima? I mean, I just realised that your names are very similar!"

**  
**Now it was Ranma who was surprised. "Umm, yes, Ranma is my brother." she answered. "But how do you know him?"

**  
**The captain smiled. "Nearly everyone in Tokyo knows him. At the latest ever since that news report where he fought that other guy with the bandana and the umbrella. And his fights with the huge flying monster are legendary! Miss, tell your brother my commendment when you meet him next. He and his fighting spirit have been an inspiration for me and my troop. But it seems as if you take after him quite a lot, Miss Saotome…" he said with a deepening smile.

**  
**Ranma blushed. She was the inspiration for a whole troop of police officers? Or rather her male side? Damn, how weird could it get? Well, it was weird, but also cool at the same time. "Thank you, captain, I will tell him. Uhh, will you need anything from us in the future? For in the next few weeks we will be on a trip to a friend, and while we are at it we wanted to visit the nicest sights of the prefectures." she said.

**  
**The captain thought for a moment. "Where are you headed to?"

**  
**The Saotome girl looked to Kasumi-otoko, and he nodded impalpably. "To the Okayama prefecture. Though we have no idea when we will get there. But you would be able to reach us via mail."

**  
**Again, the captain nodded. "I do not know as of yet if further statements will be needed on your part, but if this should be the case we will notify you via mail. Just give me your email-address, and we'll do the rest." he said with a smile.

**  
**Ranma nodded and scribbled down her email-address on the offered slip of paper which she then handed to the captain. "Thank you for your cooperation. Now we have to go, duty calls."

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko nodded, and with a wave the captain boarded his car. Just when they were about to drive off, she could have sworn that she heard the captain say "Do you have any idea who that was, guys? Ránmā Saotome, the sister of Ranma Saotome! They're only spelled differently! Weird, eh?"

**  
**Then the door was closed, and the troop drove off. Ranma smiled to herself. Who would have thought that she, or rather her male half, had become a celebrity? Hand in hand Kasumi-otoko and she returned to the waiting group of people they had unwittingly helped, and in the adjacent minutes the two travellers were invited to an impromptu picnic in the park. An offer Ranma and Kasumi-otoko accepted all too gladly.

**  
**Finally they were seated on a large blanket they had to themselves, and a filled Ranma leant contently against her 'boyfriend'. Afterwards she enjoyed another good bout of food and good company. A day which could have ended badly had turned out for the better in the end, and after the feast was over Ranma and Kasumi-otoko said their good byes and travelled on.

**  
**Before they left Oume, however, they acted upon what Kasumi and Ranma had found out about the problem with the boxers, and bought a good dozen of briefs after verifying, that those were indeed better suited for girls. Ranma still bemoaned the loss of her beloved boxers, but even she had to admit that briefs were a lot more comfortable for a girl in the long run. They also had the good idea to buy thick undershirts for the both of them, for due to the fact that they both could not wear bras this was the most decent solution. Kasumi and Ranma were prone to changing, and thus a thick, black undershirt was called for. Decency had to be kept, and Kasumi was adamant about it.

**  
**Till nightfall they managed to make it to the Yamanashi prefecture, where they once more camped in the wilderness. Only that this time, after the exciting events of the day both cursed individuals rather wanted to share a tent. After changing back they engaged in a very much enjoyed snogging session, and when they finally called it a night they separated into different sleeping bags. Soon soft snoring noises could be heard, as two cursed individuals found a peaceful nights rest in each others arms.

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	16. On the road

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 16: On the road**

**  
**Next morning the two cursed individuals awoke together; at first Ranma cringed away from Kasumi in expectation to be hit because he had done something perverted. Then reality reasserted itself in his mind, remembering that he was not in Nerima any more; where nearly anyone would hit him at even the hint of physical affections.

**  
**Kasumi had, of course, noticed his reaction; a feeling of overwhelming sadness overcame her. How much Ranma had suffered, nobody had even known or realised it. Her father and 'uncle' Genma had always been too fixated on Akane's side of the story and had always believed her word over that of Ranma. So when Akane had treated him like the pervert she suspected him to be it had been perfectly alright.

**  
**But what nobody had taken into consideration was: how anyone, regardless how strong he or she was, would be affected by such constant treatment. Ever since Jusendo and the following months and events Kasumi knew that Ranma had been tired of this treatment, she was more than glad that his situation had finally improved.

**  
**Though obviously he would need some time to get used to it, as his instinctive and conditioned reaction showed. Well, she'd have to condition Ranma otherwise and replace the 'programming' Akane had given him.

**  
**And she would begin right now.

**  
**"Ranma-kun," she purred, "would you come over to me and warm me?" she asked with a flirtatious smile.

**  
**Only after a moments hesitation he complied. This was the woman he loved, the woman who had done so much for him, and he'd do anything for her. With a smile on his face he scuffled closer to Kasumi and put his right arm underneath her and pulled her close.

**  
**Instantly the oldest Tendo daughter snuggled up to him; when she leant into him a content smile settled down on Ranma's face. If life would be like this for the rest of his days; if waking up together like this every day was 'part of the package', then he'd be the luckiest man, woman, whatever in the world.

**  
**Glancing at Kasumi he noticed that she had an equally content smile on her face, and inwardly he mused how it was possible to love a single person so much without bursting to bits. He'd never felt like this for anyone before, and for the first time he felt what true love really was.

**  
**Why had his father denied him the option to find love on his own? If he'd had the choice in the engagement, if he'd had the opportunity to really get to know all three Tendo girls before actually considering an engagement, then he might have found this love even earlier.

**  
**But how so often in his life his father had had to screw up, throwing him unerringly at the one Tendo girl that liked boys the least. And how he'd hated the mindless pressure the fathers had exerted on him and Akane, and inwardly he could not really fault the youngest Tendo daughter for not wanting to marry him.

**  
**Granted, at the failed wedding she had really looked like she'd wanted to go through with it and marry him; but honestly, had she really wanted to marry someone she had been forced together with? How could anyone expect the parties of such an agreement to be happily married ever after? Especially if one of the parties was decidedly uncomfortable with the 'condition' of the other and had a dislike for boys in general?

**  
**Maybe Akane had loved him; but she had never trusted him, especially around the other girls. She'd accused him of being a pervert and doing 'perverted' things with them. Countless times. Her anger, her jealousy and her violence towards him had been too much to bear in the end. Not even her cute smile and her beauty had been able to counter those negative sides in the end.

**  
**Inwardly he hoped that he'd be able to make peace with Akane in the end, and maybe he could take her up on the offer she had made when they had first met. But this time with truly meaning it, abiding by it. And maybe he could learn some meditation techniques from the Shinto Priest at the Masaki's that would help in finding a key to control Akane's anger.

**  
**But right now he did not want to dwell on it, as he was lying side by side with the most beautiful woman of the planet. Slowly he turned to face her, and when he saw her gleaming and inviting brown eyes he could not resist the urge to kiss her. Much to her delight, apparently…

**  
**A heavy snogging session and an extensive breakfast later, thanks to the supplies they had received from the people they'd helped in Oume, they repacked the tent into Ranma's backpack and hit the road once more. Their plan was to stop by at the several shrines and holy places that lay on their way from the Yamanashi prefecture to Okayama, and in the following days they did just that as they crossed from prefecture to prefecture.

**  
**Although they had both tried to stay in their birthforms as much as possible and had frequently found occasions to explore their feelings further, there had always been the odd rain shower or splashing. And they, but foremost Ranma, had to accept that there was no way to stay in their birthforms as much as he wanted.

**  
**As long as they weren't locked they always were prone to changing, and after the first two days Ranma didn't really care any more about not showing as much affection to Kasumi when he was a she. What Kasumi had said had really hit home. But they limited the more further-going make-out sessions to their birthforms, but kisses and caresses were fair game while they were in their alternate forms.

**  
**Over the time they spent travelling they had stopped by at several shrines, and after Ranma had accepted that he could also show affection while they were not alone the Saotome youth felt, just how much his fathers teachings had limited him. Also being a she was not so bad any more without a certain stupid panda and his constant harpings to bother her.

**  
**The thing that had ticked Ranma off the most about the curse had always been the fact that the curse made the cursed individual such a damned water magnet. The constant splashing had always been a thorn in the side. And wet clothes generally did not really improve the mood after all either.

**  
**Thus were the thoughts of a somewhat wet Ranma who was carrying an also somewhat wet Kasumi-otoko. **'The Kami of Rain must really get a kick out of this…'** she thought to herself with a semi-amused shake of her head.

**  
**Ranma mused she really should have tested waterproof articles, rain-clothes or something to that effect. The companies would even have saved on hose pipes or swimming pools with her and she'd have made a good deal of money. Just let Ranma Saotome stand outside for a few moments, and something cold-water related like a nice downpour was bound to happen. Instant girl, just add water. Sometimes it was nearly comical, but Kasumi's company made it much more bearable.

**  
**Especially the first time they had changed together after they had hit the road again after the training was in fond remembrance for Ranma. While they had been travelling through Tokyo prefecture one of those odd downpours had occurred, and Ranma who had wanted to stay in birthform as much as possible so as to have the chance to get to know the female Kasumi even better had looked quite disgruntled when he had suddenly been a she, courtesy of a splashing.

**  
**But what Kasumi-otoko had done had been so cute. He'd looked at her with a smile, had given her a tongue-curling kiss and had asked "There, better now?" with a smirk, showing how much he liked to give in into his mischievous nature he had hid so long as a she.

**  
**The redheads only coherent response had been a shaky nod, so much she could remember. From then on she still had tried to stay male as much of the time as possible to have as much chances to make out with the female Kasumi, but every time they had changed Ranma had received such a kiss. After a while changing had not been so bad any more…

**  
**Shaking herself out of her musings she paid more attention to their surroundings. They were just passing through a forest which rapidly gave way to a wide, plain valley. Ranma took the time to get orientated, and she finally nodded to herself when she recognised the area from the map. Yes, they were not far away from the Gifu prefecture.

**  
**They were now in their second week of travelling and were not making as much progress concerning the covered distance at the moment as Ranma would have liked, but therefore they were making so much more progress regarding their relationship. And wasn't that as important as covering a certain distance, if not much more so?

**  
**For them this trip was also a trip to self, a trip to finding oneself and the other. And after only two weeks away from Nerima they had really made progress, as well regarding getting more used to their curses as regarding their growing relationship. In their case one could rightfully say that the journey was the reward.

**  
**Ranma had also begun to instruct Kasumi in the basics of her Art. Now she was always on the lookout for appropriate places to stop and show her love some more moves. The cursed martial artist nodded to herself. This would be the ideal area to start on teaching Kasumi some more moves. Some minutes later Ranma had arrived at the destination and let Kasumi get down.

**  
**Said cursed Tendo looked questioningly at Ranma. "Why the stop, Ranma-chan? Want me to carry you for a change?" he asked in jest.

**  
**Ranma actually giggled and nearly clapped a hand over her mouth until she remembered that it was quite alright for girls to giggle. And that she was now, a girl and there was no idiot panda to harp on her. Thus she continued to giggle. "I really like your true self, Ka-kun. The oblivious and selfless act you put up for the sake of your family really fell short. You know, I don't want a traditional Japanese wife, Ka-kun; I am hardly traditional myself. Just be yourself, the cuter you are."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko boggled. Ranma had practically voiced what he had been brooding about ever since she had been cursed. How on Earth should she be a traditional Japanese wife with a curse that turned her into a man? That was next to impossible!

**  
**And now Ranma said that she did not want such a wife. Did it mean that she did not want her? She had always acted like a traditional Japanese woman in the past. No, that could not be that. Ranma had practically said that he loved her, regardless of the form.

**  
**Seconds later the impact clicked. Due to the curse she had ceased to be a traditional Japanese woman. She now turned into a man, and it was her right to break free of the restrictions her family had put upon her. That was what the others had wanted to tell her/him! And he/she'd start with it right away!

**  
**After all, what had all this acting like a proper Japanese housewife brought her? She had been limited to the house while her sisters had experienced life and lived it to the fullest. Akane had even always done things her way, and father had never objected.

**  
**No, she would never go back to living that way again, and the curse would help her. "Thanks for the compliment, Ranma-chan. Sorry that I spaced off a bit; I had to think about something. What you said drove the point home that I can never be a traditional Japanese woman ever again because of the curse. And know what? I don't want to be one any more. I'm glad that you wouldn't want one anyway, though. I will try my best to break out of my shell, so to speak. This behaviour has been ingrained into me for a long time, but I'll try to get rid of it. After all, my two sisters never were traditional. And I have no reason to be any longer. Thank you for giving me the answer, my Ranma-chan."

**  
**Ranma smiled a dazzling smile, and seconds later the young lovers embraced and kissed. The cursed martial-artist did not find it strange any more to be kissed by a guy, after all, this was Kasumi. The person was what counted, not the body. And Ranma had taken this lesson to heart, as Kasumi-otoko noticed and enjoyed.

**  
**Two minutes of intense kissing and roaming the others body later both came up for air. "I really like that, Ka-kun. Thank you for loving me."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled. "I like it too. It is all I ever dreamed of and more. Thank you for loving me too."

**  
**Ranma grinned at Kasumi-otoko's cleverness and leaned into another embrace. This way she had not had to say the 'l' word. And she really did love Kasumi; that had become clearer to her over the course of the weeks they had travelled. She loved Kasumi in both forms. She just couldn't say it as of yet.

**  
**Unbeknownst to Ranma she had not needed to say it. Kasumi-otoko had noticed from the glint in her eyes and the look on her face. Being Kasumi, s/he already knew those words, unformed from her love's mouth. "You know, it will be really hard on you to get used to the name for your cursed form. But I like Yoshiro. It has a nice ring to it." she said with a smile.

**  
**The cursed Tendo smiled back. "You are right, Ranma-chan. It will be hard to get used to, and you already have an advantage over me."

**  
**Ranma looked puzzled. "Huh? What do you mean?" she asked. Then she thought for a moment and it made click. "Of course! I only have to spell my name differently. That's what you meant."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. "Yes. Now, why did you stop here, love?"

**  
**Ranma blushed at Kasumi-otoko calling her 'love'. It brought forth a number of unknown feelings in her, so she decided to concentrate on the question. "I stopped so I could teach you some more of the Anything Goes style, Kas-chan. I'll be showing you a new Kata today."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled at his love. Ever since the encounter with those gang members he really looked forward to improve his defence skills, and up till now Ranma had always found enough occasions to instruct him. "That's nice, love. I'm ready when you are."

**  
**Ranma smiled. "In order to be most effective I have to be a male when showing you the Kata. That's a lot easier."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. That was logical. "Good. Then I'd say we pitch up our tents and start a campfire to heat some water."

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded, both getting to work. Some minute's later one tent was standing, as the other was deemed unnecessary. After all, Kasumi had decided that she would not be the proper Japanese woman any more, why should Kasumi-otoko be a proper Japanese man and sleep alone in his tent? It was also a lot more comfy and warmer to sleep snuggled up to each other, even if in separate sleeping bags.

**  
**While the fire was heating the kettle with water Kasumi-otoko had prepared; the young lovers had once more time for another make-out session. Ranma had been rapidly losing her distaste for physical contact she had developed from the Amazon glomps and other unpleasantnesses ever since they had admitted their feelings.

**  
**In fact, she had nearly overcome them the first time they had hugged. The pleasure of a shared hug had been a thousand times greater than all Amazon glomps she had received in her life. And she was now thoroughly enjoying their make-out sessions. Who would have thought that physical contact could be so much fun?

**  
**Presently Ranma and Kasumi-otoko were kissing the life out of the other. If Nodoka could have seen them, she would probably have squealed "Grandchildren!" and fainted. It would be interesting to know if the Saotome matriarch would agree to the idea of a pregnant Ranma. Not that any of the two had that in mind, least of all Ranma. But from the way those two kissed an objective observer would have guessed that Nodoka would have good chances with grandchildren from those two…

**  
**If Genma Saotome had seen the display he would have either blown a fuse at seeing his manly son, even if currently a very beautiful girl, kiss a guy, even if it was Kasumi. Or he would have celebrated the joining of the schools. You pick.

**  
**But as none of them were present, Ranma and Kasumi-otoko were enjoying their peace and quiet, a heavy make-out session included. When the lovers finally separated to take in some very much needed oxygen both had very pleased smiles on their faces. This was so good! Inwardly Ranma wondered whatever Akane could have had against something this good.

**  
**If even Kasumi was enjoying this, and had repeatedly told her that it was nothing perverted, then what the heck was perverted about kissing, caressing, touching and stroking? For the life of her, Ranma could not figure it out. Well, Akane's loss.

**  
**Luckily Kasumi was very different from Akane. And it was good to find out that the old saying still rang true, still waters were deep. **'What will it be like once we are married?'** Ranma caught herself thinking.

**  
**Mentally she 'eeped!'. Marriage! She had been thinking about marriage, of all things. Yet the idea of a marriage to Kasumi did not bother the boy turned girl. Yes, their relationship was really progressing fast, and that was not a bad thing either. Rather the opposite.

**  
**A minute and some kisses later the kettle was finally heated, and Ranma upended it over her head once it had cooled down enough.

**  
**And with that Ranma-otoko started to teach Kasumi-otoko a new Kata of the Anything Goes style.

**  
**As Kasumi had been trained by her father in the Tendo Ryu and had started practising again some time ago this was a good foundation to build upon. When you added the training Cologne had given to Kasumi-otoko, it was safe to say that the cursed Tendo had a good starting base.

**  
**That he also had a very good learning curve, as Ranma had soon found out surely did no harm. Ranma had to correct some of the moves of the Tendo Ryu Kata Kasumi-otoko was presently doing as warm-up. That was due to the fact that he had done them before as a female.

**  
**Now, in male form, a block had to be modified here and a blow or kick to be changed there. Ranma also explained the reason why he was doing so. "You know, a move might be one-hundred percent correct and efficient when done as a female, but due to the difference in strength and proportion it might be a disaster in male form. Kas-chan, you had to adapt your balance completely after you received the curse, remember?"

**  
**At Kasumi-otokos nod he continued. "And you surely noticed the greater strength and reach of your male body, right?" again a nod. "Good." It was also a good thing that this was not Akane he was teaching.

**  
**Alone for implying that girls could be physically weaker, which they were, considering the muscle mass and density, would have been reason enough for her to give him a severe malleting. "This is why the Kata has to be adapted in order to take advantage of your male body's' strengths. A male body has usually more strength and endurance than a female body, whereas the female has advantages regarding speed and pain tolerance. One has to adapt a Kata to the different strengths of the gender, else one may in for a nasty surprise in a fight."

**  
**And that he did. Ranma demonstrated the new and adapted Kata from the Saotome Ryu and showed Kasumi-otoko the difficulties. Then he had him repeat the Kata and corrected mistakes here and there. When he noticed that Kasumi-otoko was tiring after an especially difficult Kata he put a stop to today's training and let it taper off with some stretching exercises.

**  
**As it was late evening by now that was more than enough for the day, and an exhausted Kasumi-otoko was glad when he could stop. Once the water was sufficiently heated he changed back into a she; after all, there was still enough energy left for furthering the exploration of their feelings...

**  
**Thus the two called it a night and went to their tent. An all-around enjoyed snogging session later the two cursed individuals were lying side by side, again in separate sleeping bags, but snuggled up to each other. Softly fondling each other they talked silently about their curses, and Ranma looked thoughtful when Kasumi admitted that she was slowly becoming indifferent to which form she was in.

**  
**He himself had not made as much progress as of yet, but Kasumi had never had such a misogynistic father who had filled her head with all sorts of stupid ideas. Kasumi saw the look on his face when she had said that, and she mused that the locking might indeed do Ranma good.

**  
**Hopefully living as a girl for some time would help her love overcome the last oddments of the misogynistic crap Genma had taught Ranma; she on her part would do everything in her power so that her love would enjoy this time. And when she said that it did not really matter to her if she was male or female, as long as kissing and making out made so much fun, Ranma could not hinder the blush that crept on his face.

**  
**But he had to admit that she was right. Now he had someone with whom he could share his cold-water experiences, and on their way from the Mlao plains to where they were now, some distance away from Gifu city, they had made quite a few already.

**  
**A sudden downpour here or a passing car driving through a puddle there.Oh, and not to forget the ladle-ladies which seemed to exist in every city. But due to the fact that Kasumi had joined in the cold-water-part of the curse it was all not so bad any more. Especially considering the kisses Ranma received after changing each time, in the meantime even in public, made it all so much more bearable.

**  
**The whole splashing had also impressively underlined why they would stay locked in their cursed forms when they reached their destination. But for now using the soap to do so was out of the question, for Ranma wanted to appear at the Masaki house in his male form. After all, Tenchi only knew the male Ranma, for he surely had never heard of Jusenkyo curses.

**  
**One smile from Kasumi ignited the urge to kiss Kasumi again, and it was a good thing that they were lying in separate sleeping bags. They had deemed this a necessary precaution for a simple reason: they could not trust their hormones.

**  
**As honourable as both were, who knew if passion would not get the better of them? It was already hard enough to stop in time. But none of them thought about stopping their make-out sessions altogether, not at all. Those shared moments were simply too good.

**  
**From time to time, with a bit of pity, Ranma thought about what Akane was denying herself. Honestly, she should sue Tatewaki Kuno and those members of the Hentai Horde, but good. Those perverts and 'the scion of house Kuno' had screwed her perceptions up so bad, so that she'd regard a simple and most enjoyable kiss as something perverted.

**  
**How on Earth should Akane ever have a normal and happy relationship with how she was acting and reacting? In his heart Ranma knew that she needed help, and professional help at that. Nobody, regardless how strong one was, could escape what Akane had gone through on a daily basis unscathed. And although the morning fights had been over and done with for nearly over a year now, the effects were much more long-lasting as it seemed and as Ranma had come to know.

**  
**And that made Ranma angry. Everybody should have a chance to feel as happy as he and Kasumi were feeling now. For what would happen if Akane met Mr. Right, and at the first hint of affection the poor guy ended up clobbered? No, once they were back he'd help Akane. But right now he was enjoying himself too much to think of anything any more…

**  
**───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
**Next morning Ranma and Kasumi awoke side by side, only divided by their sleeping bags. The cursed Tendo girl smiled at her love, and she was delighted when he did not flinch back like in the past but actually smiled back at her. It had taken some time but finally they'd made enough progress. With an even bigger smile she snuggled up to him, and a now equally big smiling Ranma laid his arm around her and drew her even closer.

**  
**Kasumi was enjoying the comfy warmth Ranma was giving off, and if she had been a cat she would have purred from contentment. Silently she prayed to Kami-sama that their mornings would always be like this, and in moments like these she was very happy that she'd been forward enough to admit her feelings for Ranma.

**  
**Silently she mused that she'd probably never have had the guts to do so had she not been cursed, and she'd asked herself repeatedly if auntie had not been right. Maybe it had really been fate that she'd been cursed, and with the opposite curse of Ranma's to boot. They did indeed make the perfect couple now, and in the meantime she was slowly getting used to having 'different parts' when in her cursed form. Though some reactions of her male form did still surprise and embarrass her, but for her own sanity she did not want to dwell on it too much…

**  
**But fact was that kissing and holding Ranma was one of the greatest things ever, regardless of the form. She'd also realised that Cologne had been right; her perceptions were different when she was a he. Especially when she'd held Ranma in her male form after the incident in Oume had been over she'd felt like she in her male form had been the one protecting Ranma, giving her comfort. And being able to give comfort, protection and support to the strongest person you knew had really been something else.

**  
**Kasumi felt that they were the ideal supplementation to the other in both forms, and it was great how complementary they were to each other in many ways. She was learning how to defend herself as good as possible, while Ranma was still learning better manners and continued to catch up regarding school.

**  
**To this end they had also taken several school books with them, thanks to the huge backpack Ranma was carrying. And now that his stuff-space had been vastly improved he'd stored the books there to keep them from being damaged. Thus, when they were not travelling Ranma showed her his art and instructed her in it, and in exchange she continued to tutor him.

**  
**And when they were travelling Kasumi would ask her love questions about what he (or occasionally she) had learned, and to her delight Ranma was improving more and more. Both had agreed that they'd also use the occasion to teach the other how to be a man respective a woman when they were in their cursed forms, but both also agreed that the real teaching part regarding this would start once they were locked.

**  
**Her musings were cut short when she noticed how her love began to softly stroke her hair, and let his hand wander downwards to massage her. It had not taken him long to find all the spots where she really liked to be touched, and like with every technique Ranma learned, it had not taken him long to become damn good at it.

**  
**And when his warm hand slid under the top of her PJ and onto her back to massage her bare skin she purred with pleasure. "Mmmmmh… this feels good, Ra-kun. More of it." she whispered.

**  
**And with a smile Ranma complied. "Anything for you, milady." he said, and the smile reached his voice.

**  
**During the massage Ranma had also time to hang to his own thoughts. **'It might sound selfish, but that Kasumi got the curse was the damn best thing that could have happened. Because of that we got out of the house and away from Nerima, admitted what we felt for each other, she helped and still helps me bringing down my barriers, and… oh Kami-sama! I love her more than anything in the world! Damn, she loves me even with my curse, loves me in both forms! And I love her so much that it is a miracle that I haven't been blown to bits by the sheer power of my feelings. Why pops wanted me to keep feelings like these down I'll never know. I hope mom will set him right but good!'** he thought with a smile.

**  
**Ranma had been so absorbed in his thoughts so that he had not noticed how Kasumi had leant onto her left side, and suddenly his hand was touching her right breast. In the past he would have blushed, stammered incoherently and probably been clobbered, but in the last two weeks things had changed, and Ranma knew that he had not done anything perverted.

**  
**They were a couple, and couples did such things. Thus he left his hand in place, leant closer to her and whispered into her ear "I can't thank Kami-sama enough for you, you know that, you most beautiful woman in the world."

**  
**Kasumi leant on her back and smiled up at him. "Thank you, Ra-kun. I love you."

**  
**Ranma's smile deepened, and when he moved his hand he heard a soft intake of breath from his love. "Is anything wrong, Kas-chan?" he asked worriedly.

**  
**However, Kasumi just smiled. "It's nothing much. Only my breasts are a bit sensitive, is all."

**  
**The Saotome youth was now admittedly more knowledgeable regarding this area, but right now his expression betrayed his cluelessness. Kasumi laughed softly at this, and enlightened him. "This happens when I'm about to start my period, love. The breasts grow somewhat in size and get much more sensitive and hurt occasionally. But it's nothing to worry about, rather the contrary, it's perfectly normal."

**  
**Ranma nodded slowly as he remembered what his mother had told him about that specific topic. Deep inside he still hoped that this specific cup would pass him by as he still was not completely convinced that his girl-half was a real girl, despite what the others said. He'd wait and see. "I understand, Kas-chan. Mom told me some about it when she gave me the 'talk', but it seems as if there's a lot more to being a woman than I thought. Hmm, mom also mentioned that there's the chance that I'd get a migraine when I start. How is it in your case? Anything I should know?" he asked with a smile.

**  
**Kasumi smiled back. It was a very good thing that Ranma knew more about sexuality at last. This was also one of the reasons why she had been tempted on more than just one occasion to make a panda-stew out of a certain baka panda. How could anyone be so irresponsible and not give his child the 'talk'? Honestly, stupid panda. "Thanks for you worries, Ra-kun. Normally I wouldn't tell this to anyone, but you are different, for you are the person I love. Yes, I get a migraine and flushes when I have my period, but I live through it. You get used to it after some time, and many more women in the world have the same problems. And there's always Midol." she said with a smile.

**  
**Ranma had a thoughtful look on his face. "Damn, I knew I had forgotten something. Mom mentioned that too. She said that my first time as a girl could be quite hard, so I should have a good supply of Midol at hand. But up till now I forgot to buy it, as I won't lock myself for still some time. But I completely forgot about you. Sorry."

**  
**The oldest Tendo daughter softly stroked his cheek and smiled at him. "How should you have known? It's not as if I go around and tell people 'Hey, today's the day I'll get my period.'. So don't worry about it, Ra-kun."

**  
**Suddenly Ranma's face lit up with a smile. "It's simple. We'll buy some Midol in the next apothecary we come across. Its only 100 miles till we reach Gifu city, so we should be there this afternoon."

**  
**Kasumi smiled despite the fact that she knew that it'd be too late by then. She'd probably start some time around the morning, and she already had a pad in place. And thank Kami-sama that they had bought briefs. With boxers it would have been next to impossible to hide it, and those briefs were actually nearly as good as panties. "That is fine, Ra-kun. And don't worry about me. It's just my period, and you can be sure I won't die from it."

**  
**Ranma looked at her in mock-worry. "Are you sure? Hmm, maybe we can take up preventive measures to lessen the risk…" he said and leant down to kiss her.

**  
**His love smiled in response, and the next snogging session took place. Afterwards they got up and dressed, then breakfast was prepared and consumed, and finally they were on their way again. But after half of the way Kasumi's face suddenly scrunched up, and she knew that her monthlies had arrived.

**  
**And the migraine that settled in was nothing short of the mother of all migraines. **'Damn,'** she thought, and uncharacteristically for her she swore, **'why has that to happen now when I'm enjoying myself so much? Now that's no fair!'**

**  
**Ranma, who had lost a good deal of his cluelessness in the past months noticed her changed mood and her pout and stopped his run to look at her. "Is it what I think it is?" he asked cautiously.

**  
**With an unhappy expression Kasumi looked at him and nodded. "Yes," she admitted, "and I admit that the headache is slightly worse than the ones in the past. But I will survive." she said with a smile. "I bet it has something to do with getting my period for the first time after receiving the curse. So don't worry about it, Ra-kun."

**  
**The Saotome youth did not like that his girlfriend was uncomfortable, but if she said that she'd be okay, who was he to doubt her? After all, he'd have to trust her to know what was best for her. "If you're sure, Kas-chan. I will speed up a bit anyway so that we reach Gifu city a bit sooner. So tighten your hold, next stop: Gifu city." he said with his trademark grin and off they were.

**  
**During the run they noticed something interesting. One of the meanwhile customary downpours occurred, but instead of changing like Ranma, Kasumi remained female. Fact that astounded both cursed individuals. In fact so much, that Ranma let Kasumi down to the ground, gaping at her like a fish out of the water. "What the hell!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Kasumi, who was as surprised, waggled a finger at her despite said surprise. "Language, love. But else you're right." she admitted with a slight smile and then scrunched up her face in contemplation. "Hmm, I can only think of one explanation: the ovulation is one of the most important processes in nature, and apparently so important, that not even the curse magic can or will interfere. This means that changing back into a man to 'outrun' the period is out of the question else one stays a guy and avoids getting splashed. Which is next to impossible as we know."

**  
**Ranma looked somewhat disgruntled. "So that means that if I have started my time and get my period again afterwards, I will be practically locked for the duration of the period. Meh. But I know, I know… all girls go through it, and so will I." she said with a sigh. "But I bet the tomboy will burst a gut when she hears this. The great macho Ranma Saotome locked as a girl because of her period. Great." she exclaimed.

**  
**Now Kasumi looked anything but amused, and the scolding that followed had also a lot to do with period induced mood-swings. "Ranma Saotome, you take that back! My little sister may be temperamental at times, but she would never make fun of you in a matter of this. Yes, she has made a lot of mistakes and has a lot to learn, and how she treated you was abominable, but she's still my little sis, and I love her. So apologise."

**  
**The Saotome girl looked somewhat chagrined. "Sorry, Kas-chan. The last months were so hard for me, and I still have difficulties to handle what has happened. You know how she thinks of me, as the most macho and most perverted being under Kami-sama's sun. So is it so farfetched to assume she would react this way?" she asked in a small voice.

**  
**Kasumi's sensitive antennae picked up the signals despite her hormonally induced mood-swings, and moments later Ranma found herself in a hug by a sniffling Kasumi. "Forgive me, love. Sometimes I forget the full extent of what you lived through, and you must understand that a sister can't jump over her own shadow. I love Akane, and I've always tried to protect her, but you're right, she might react the way you said." she admitted.

**  
**Ranma smiled up at Kasumi and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "'Tis okay, Kas-chan. If I had a sister or a brother I'd probably try to protect her or him as much as I could too. Now let me change back so that we can carry on." she said, while she marvelled that kissing Kasumi as a girl when Kasumi was a girl too had felt incredibly soft. Then she reprimanded herself for these perverted thoughts and prepared everything to change back.

**  
**The eldest Tendo daughter nodded, and after Ranma had changed back into a male they continued their travel for their destination of the day, luckily undisturbed by any more odd downpours. Kasumi was quite absorbed in thought while she was being carried by her love, for what Ranma had said had hit home.

**  
**Akane would probably have reacted this way, and she dearly hoped that her father would finally get her little sis some help. She, herself, only began to realise ever so slowly what a great impact their ignorance of mothers' death had had on the family and her.

**  
**Honestly, how could they have carried on after mothers' death like nothing had happened? Now that she had an outside view on it she saw how idiotic that had been. Especially little sis would have a hard way to come to terms with mothers death, and inwardly she was convinced that this was also one of the roots for Akane's constant anger.

**  
**Her baby sis was still angry at her mother for 'abandoning' her, and due to the way how they had carried on after her death Akane never had had the chance to come to terms with it. None of them had. Nabiki had incarcerated her feelings in ice; Akane had gotten more and more temperamental and due to the morning fights more and more violent; and she, herself, had suppressed any of her own hopes and wishes for the sake of the family.

**  
**Even during her own highschool time she had had little time for her friends, as she had had to take care of the household. But now, due to a single incident everything had changed. Who would have guessed that getting cursed would have had this effect? And she had to admit to herself, ever since she had received a male side she was acting a lot more forward, even in her female form.

**  
**This might have to do with a biological effect she had read of. When two people fell in love, the testosterone levels of the female would rise to match those of the male in order to make them more compatible while the testosterone levels of the male would decrease. And as she was very much in love with Ranma, and due to her cursed form, she mused that she had a lot of testosterone. This would also explain why Ranma was beginning to feel better in his female form, as the same applied to Ranma.

**  
**Her curse might turn out to be a blessing, and if she could manage to get Ranma used to the curse fully, they could indeed become one of the happiest couples alive. It had helped Ranma a lot that she had kissed her in her male form after they had changed every time, for it also showed Ranma that she really did not care about the form.

**  
**True, it had been different in the beginning to kiss a girl, but this girl was still Ranma. And as she loved the person Ranma, she also loved the girl Ranma, and by this logic it was becoming progressively easier to kiss Ranma and make out with her. That Ranma was very attractive surely did help too…

**  
**Also, decency was kept, thanks to their opposite curses. She was still having troubles with the concept to kiss girl-Ranma while she was a girl herself, but as they were in opposite forms except apparently for the time of their periods this was something she didn't want to think about much.

**  
**True to Ranma's prediction they reached Gifu city in the late afternoon, and for once they even had been spared by the Kami of Rain. Gifu City, their destination for the day, was located almost in the centre of Japan, about 250 km west of Tokyo, and about 140 km east of Osaka. The city itself was situated in the northern part of the fertile Nobi plain that was created by the Nagara Kiso and Ibi rivers.

**  
**But the two did not stop to enjoy the sights. The first thing they did was to stop by at the local apothecary to buy a nice supply of Midol and other period-related articles. They also bought some additional supplies at a local supermarket to stock up on their dwindling supplies of food.

**  
**Once they were done the two cursed individuals spent their time to look at the sights, and especially Ranma marvelled at the fact that his own country had a lot worth to be looked at. Once they had had enough of the sights Gifu city had to offer, the two lovers made their way to a local restaurant.

**  
**Aside from the money they had gotten from Nabiki they had also received some money from Nodoka. And Kasumi had taken some of her savings with her on the trip too. Thus they were able to enjoy a quiet and romantic dinner for two.

**  
**The waiter was even so thoughtful to light a candle for them, and when he did both cursed individuals smiled at each other and held hands in their booth. It was moments like these that made them feel like the luckiest people alive. Being in love was so great, and that Ranma was meanwhile able to express his emotions and affections was enough to make Kasumi the happiest woman in Japan.

**  
**Her Ranma was a treasure, and she loved to discover more and more new sides to him. She had known that he had the remarkable talent to learn a technique just from seeing it, but it obviously worked for other fields too. She had noticed that he was constantly watching people they came in contact with in order to learn from them and their behaviour, behaviour he deemed decent, of course. And thus Ranma was getting more and more attentive towards her.

**  
**The way he touched her, the way he kissed and the way he looked at her were more than enough to make her melt. Ranma had always had his charm, but in the past he had had nothing to back it up. He had not known what he was supposed to do with women, but he was learning. Rapidly. And that much to the delight of a certain Kasumi Tendo.

**  
**But she had learned a lot herself, too, she mused as she ate her rice at a proper pace. Ranma, who presently ate like a well-mannered human vacuum, was a very good sensei, and one thing was for sure, he was nothing like Genma in that regard. No taunting or insulting during their sessions, only calm and controlled behaviour with a loving undertone towards her. It was apparent that Ranma had finally thrown most of the teachings of his father out of the window where they belonged, and she was proud that she had been able to do her part in it.

**  
**Though something had to be done about Genma Saotome. She knew that she wanted to become engaged to Ranma if he wanted her, and she also knew that she wanted children with her Ranma. Somehow she was sure that Ranma wanted the same; and if that was really the case, well, then Genma Saotome would have to be removed from the equation. There was no chance in hell that she'd endanger her kids by exposing them to the influence of that man.

**  
**He had nearly ruined Ranma's life for good with his marriage agreements and teachings, if they could be called so. Kasumi knew that it would be hard on Ranma, because she knew that he still loved his father for some reason. But was this love reason enough to endanger their future children? Certainly not. With a sigh Kasumi mused that she'd cross this bridge when she had to. Maybe auntie would somehow learn of the many failings of her husband and send him to where the pepper grows.

**  
**Ranma, on his part, had noticed the introspective mood of his girlfriend. "Is something the matter, Kas-chan?" he asked with care in his voice.

**  
**Kasumi smiled at him. He was always so worried, so caring. Damn, if only Akane knew what a catch she had had… "I was just thinking about some things, Ra-kun. Nothing of immediate importance, just some… things."

**  
**Her companion nodded. "Me too. You know, as strange as it sounds, but you're the first woman I have met with whom I really could imagine to settle down. With you, Kas-chan, I feel complete, whole, as strange as that may sound. The mornings we have woken up together were the greatest moments in my life up till now. I like you more than words could ever express, Kas-chan, and I am very happy that we went on this trip."

**  
**That said Ranma leant forward and kissed a merrily smiling Kasumi. A two-minute lip-lock later Ranma smiled at her. "We have to work on your endurance, Kas-chan." he said teasingly.

**  
**Kasumi knew where he was coming from, and creased her brows in mock-annoyance. "Oh you! Ranma Saotome, you are impossible!" she exclaimed, and tried to look stern.

**  
**However, she failed utterly in face of a smirking Ranma, and after about five seconds she collapsed laughing. "I know. That's why you love me." he said with the air of the arrogant and macho chauvinist he was said to be while he slicked back his hair, which cracked up Kasumi even more. Not being able to hold his own laughter in any longer Ranma soon gave in to the hilarity too and afterwards the two continued to enjoy their meal.

**  
**Some time later they finished the meal and kissed once more before they paid and left the restaurant. As it was 7 p.m. already there was little chance to reach the next prefecture, and thus Ranma consulted the map for a suitable resting place for the night. When he had finally found one he scooped Kasumi up in his arms and off they were.

**  
**Once they had pitched up the sole tent again after reaching their destination both engaged in some light training which lasted for three hours. Then they lay down on the ground in front of their tent. As it was a starry night and still quite warm they enjoyed watching the stars in the open air.

**  
**Kasumi's head rested upon Ranma's chest, and both cursed individuals had content smiles on their faces. This trip was turning out better and better… "Did you really mean what you said in the restaurant, Ra-kun?"

**  
**Ranma turned his head towards her. "What?" he asked, clueless at first. "Oh!" he then exclaimed, "You mean if I really want to settle down with you, right?"

**  
**"Yes." was the answer of the cursed Tendo daughter, "Did you really mean that, with everything that would come with it?" she asked, daring to hope.

**  
**The Saotome youth nodded and stroked her hair. "Yes, Kas-chan. I meant it. But let us talk about what it means when we are ready for it." he said, and let his hand wander trailed down the side of her body.

**  
**Kasumi suppressed the urge to giggle at the ticklish feeling. "Okay, my love. But I think we should talk about that topic again once we are both ready. Which will be if we consider an engagement and a wedding, should it ever take place." 'Which I hope it does.' she added as a thought.

**  
**Ranma smiled. "You know, I would not be opposed to a wedding should it take place after I have finished college or earned my first ten million yen." he said half in jest.

**  
**"Hand on that?" Kasumi asked with a smile while she turned to face her love.

**  
**"You mean that in earnest, Kas-chan?" Ranma asked incredulous.

**  
**She nodded empathically. "I like the conditions. As I said, I never would want to pressurise you into anything. If you say you would be ready for marriage after college," Kasumi paused for a moment and smiled, "or after earning your first ten million Yen, then I'd be more than glad. And I love you and want to marry only you if you one time decide so."

**  
**Ranma smiled. "Okay, hand on that." he said and held out his right hand. "And yes, I am pretty sure that one time I will ask you. I like you, I like you a lot." he said, and his eyes betrayed that he more than just liked her.

**  
**Kasumi took the hand and shook it, then gave the hand a soft kiss. She had understood the non-verbal message he had sent, and was happy. On the other side she was also angry at a certain panda, which had voluntarily crippled his child socially and emotionally. But they were working at it… "We'll see what comes about first. College or earning the Yen." she said in jest.

**  
**Ranma laughed. "Knowing my luck the ten million Yen. Not that it would be a bad thing, mind you. But you know what? Anything could happen, knowing my life. Look at how often it rains upon me, and by proxy on you. It bet the Kami of rain must really get his kicks out of it." he said.

**  
**As if to prove his words, a sudden downpour occurred, and the two cursed individuals got up and sprinted towards the tent. It was however to late for Ranma, who was now once more Ranma. Growling slightly to herself she dried herself of with a towel under the amused vista of Kasumi, who had not changed due to her period.

**  
**Pouting prettily Ranma lay down on her sleeping bag with her hands folded behind her head. "See what I mean? With me, anything could happen. Sometimes I really think I did something really bad that pissed of a Kami. And I mean not that I was forced to kill Saffron." she grumbled.

**  
**Kasumi lay down beside her and turned her face towards her. "I don't mind, love. Life with you is bound to be interesting, but you know what? I have never felt so alive in my whole life like in the past two weeks. And this is all thanks to you." she said, and kissed Ranma on the cheek.

**  
**Then Kasumi drew the smaller girl closer to her and hugged her. Ranma was hard pressed to suppress a nosebleed at the feeling of Kasumi's breasts being pressed against her own. This was a very odd feeling, odd, but also nice. However, she noticed that Kasumi seemed to be somewhat uncomfortable, and Ranma remembered the sensitive part.

**  
**Thus she softly freed herself from the embrace and turned around to face away from Kasumi. The other girl smiled at the thoughtfulness of her love, and once Ranma had laid down again she hugged the smaller girl from behind.

**  
**After a while of cuddling this way, which was surprisingly comfortable for both, Ranma voiced something that had been on her mind. "Kas-chan, I noticed that your speech patterns and behaviour were becoming more and more male when you were in cursed form. How come?" she asked.

**  
**Unconsciously Kasumi stroked her chin before answering. "You know, I have asked Cologne about the nature of the Jusenkyo curses when she asked me to accompany her into the Nekohanten. What she told me is quite fascinating, from a scientific point of view. Apparently the transformational magic of the Springs uses the genetic make-up of the victim to bring it into the form it would have had had it been born this way. So you don't look like the poor girl who drowned in that spring 1500 years ago at all, Ranma-chan. I bet you're far prettier."

**  
**At this Ranma blushed. "You're quite easy on the eyes too, and that in both forms." she teased.

**  
**Now it was Kasumi turn to blush. "Ahem. Thank you. But on with the explanation." she said and assumed her teaching voice. "The being or person that has drowned in a spring originally only serves as a kind of marker which serves to define the basics like the gender in case of gender-changing curses like ours or the species in case of animal or more esoteric curses. The rest is provided by the DNA of the victim. Or so Cologne told me. That is why you look so much like your mother when you're in female form. Cologne also told me that the curse contains something like a brief manual on how to handle the cursed body. That's also why Mousse can fly as a duck or why Shampoo lands on her paws when falling down as a feline." Kasumi well avoided the c-word, for she knew Ranmas reaction to it.

**  
**They still had to find a way to remedy the most grievous error Genma Saotome had committed: the Neko-ken. Shaking herself out of her musings Kasumi continued to explain, while beginning to caress the body of her love. "You, while having a female body, react naturally to stimulus like a female would. Think about it. In this form, you have a girl's brain and girls hormones. But those only influence your behaviour, not your personality. And because your personality is essentially male, you still remain a guy inside. Though you will become and act more female the longer you stay in this form. It is due to your upbringing and all this harping about manliness that you never switched into female speech patterns and behaviour while in your other form like you'd normally have. You just have to let this whole manliness thing go, Ranma-chan. It does not apply to you any more anyway."

**  
**Ranma looked unsure. "But what if...? What if..." she couldn't bring herself to word it.

**  
**Kasumi had a good guess where this was going. "What if you lose yourself, you mean?" she asked softly.

**  
**Ranma nodded. Kasumi just deepened the embrace to show her that she had nothing to be afraid of. "That won't happen, Ranma-chan. The curse does not work this way. You just have to find a balance between your femininity and your masculinity. As have I. Everyone has Yin and Yang, and we have to find a balance between the two. I'm beginning to, that's why I speak and act more manly when I am a male. There is also another reason which I will show you once we have internet access. But this part of the curse slowly etches on, but it is nothing to fear or despise. Don't worry, you won't turn a girl in mind. Cologne has assured me that."

**  
**The cursed martial artist looked visibly relieved. "That's a relief. What would I do without you, Kas-chan? And what have I done my whole life without you?"

**  
'Been miserable and treated like garbage by everyone.'** she thought as she stroked the redheads' hair. "Now you have me, love. And I won't leave you."

**  
**Kasumi noticed how the smaller girl relaxed even more, and a few minutes later Ranma had gone to sleep. Smiling to herself Kasumi reached for her own sleeping bag and converted it into a blanket. Then she covered the two of them with the makeshift blanket and resumed the position she had had before. It did not take long until sleep claimed her too.

**  
**───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
**The next morning started out like the others beforehand, expect that it was a rainy day and that no snogging sessions occurred. The weather also meant Ranma for the day, and to be honest, what with being in the company of Kasumi she did not mind it that much any more. Slowly she understood that both of her forms were still Ranma Saotome, and that the girl Ranma was nothing separate from the person Ranma.

**  
**After a hearty breakfast the two repacked the tent and headed for the Shiga prefecture, or to be more specific, the city Ootsu, this was located at Lake Biwa. Kasumi had made a very interesting suggestion during breakfast, and as Ranma had noticed that Kasumi was missing her home as much as she, she had been delighted at the suggestion.

**  
**Kasumi had suggested informing at least Ranma's mother, and by proxy Nabiki about what had happened during their encounter with Kodachi. And who knew, maybe the Neriman's had news too. To this end Kasumi had suggested to invest the money into a high-end laptop, with which they could access the net.

**  
**The cursed Tendo girl was no novice regarding the net, and it was actually something she had gotten interested in because of her younger sister. Who knew that having a mail-account and exchanging recipes could be so much fun? But it was, and Kasumi regarded the internet as something highly useful and always strived to learn more about it.

**  
**From some days ago and from past experiences Kasumi knew that Ranma had even greater knowledge of the net than she, and thus she had immediately agreed to buy a notebook. The money she had received from Nabiki would surely be more than suffice to buy a real high-end notebook, and luckily Ranma knew what they would be looking for.

**  
**According to their plan they wanted to buy their new notebook today, something Ranma was looking forward to very much. Sure, Nabiki had gotten increasingly friendlier to him after Jusendo and she had been allowed to use her comp more and more often, but still, the feeling remained that she was using a comp that did not belong to her.

**  
**Ranma had always disliked asking others for permission to use their stuff, and she had hated to be a freeloader while she had lived at the Tendos. That had also been the reason whys s/he had allowed Nabiki to take the shots of her female half. But now she'd get her very own notebook, and she was delighted at the prospect to get into contact with her mom. That was why they were now in search of a decent computer shop in Ootsu.

**  
**And finally they found a promising looking computer store in the middle of the inner city of Ootsu, and upon entering the shop Ranma whistled. Through Nabiki she had learned quite a lot regarding computers and internet in the last few months, and what this shop had available was great! They politely declined the offer of help from the shops assistant and started looking around.

**  
**And Finally Ranma decided upon a model. It was the latest model from a well known brand and very sophisticated looking, with 15,1 TFT and a fast 2.8 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 120 GB HDD, a very sophisticated graphics card, a double-layer DVD-burner and a very good main board. All in all everything Ranma had ever wished for.

**  
**Its storage battery allowed working with the laptop for over three hours without a power source, and that was top for that category, as the shops assistant told them. The man was quite surprised that such a cute redhead was so knowledgeable in the area of computers and inwardly hoped to ask her out, for she was a real knock-out! But when he saw how she looked at the beautiful woman that accompanied her, he shot the idea right out of the window. She was off the market, and that for good, as it seemed. Too bad that such a cute girl was playing for the wrong team…

**  
**Well, the notebook was naturally designed for the use of the internet, as it was equipped with a WLAN-card and other network access ports. And the price was so good that Ranma could do nothing but buy the thing. With gleaming eyes Ranma finally sealed the deal and bought the laptop for 300,000 Yen. And when she left the shop with her love in tow she had a big grin plastered on her face. This was shopping how she liked it!

**  
**Now they only had to find a WLAN-hotspot from which they could log in, and Ranma was looking forward to get into contact with her mother and even Cologne. And there was also the email-address of Ryoga. Yes, it would be a world of fun!

**  
**To be on the safe and comfortable side Ranma had also bought a notebook-bag in which she had stored the notebook after she had bought it. Now that nobody was looking she stored it within her personal stuff space. Right now the two were sitting on a park-bench, and this time they had made sure that this particular park was not infested by would-be-rapists.

**  
**Kasumi was leaning against her while Ranma typed on her notebook. One of the internet cafés had a W-LAN spot available, and after paying for it Ranma had begun to type away. She had been very happy as that gave her the opportunity to bring her mother up to date.

**  
**When she was finished with her message she looked it over once more, as she wanted to be sure that she had not forgotten anything. Wistfully she hid the contents from Kasumi, as she was not to read it as of yet.

**  
**───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
To**: The Katanalady

**  
From**: The wild child

**  
Subject**: Hi mom!

**  
**Hey mom,

**  
**I know it has been nearly two weeks since we left, and we're sorry for not writing earlier, but we only thought of buying a notebook today. Now we wanted to give you an update on our situation. Well, the trouble began already when we wanted to leave Nerima. That loon Kodachi attacked first Kasumi because she thought her an obstacle to her 'perfect love' with me, and when I changed into a girl she wanted to kill me for 'hiding her Ranma-sama from her'. What a darn loon! She made me so mad that I had to knock her out, but good. Grrr, nobody hurts my Kasumi!

**  
**Ahem, after that Cologne led us to a plain, I think she called it the Mlao plain. Never heard of it before, but it was so cool to train there! Guess what? I actually learned the Bakusai Tenketsu! Yes, that cool technique with which you can make rock and other inorganic (had to ask Kas-chan for the word) stuff explode. Cool, huh? Oh, and Cologne taught me some really cool techniques, and actually I had to use one of them yesterday. And those freaks deserved it too! Perverts! But more to that later.

**  
**What I write to you now will probably make you happy, mom, but please, keep it under wraps; especially from the old men. When we were training with Cologne I learned a new technique, a variant of my Hiryu Shoten Ha. Well, I modified it somewhat, and when I tried the revisions out… to say that they're as deadly as they come is an understatement. I was a girl at the time, and quite emotionally charged.

**  
**'Cause I remembered how I had to kill Saffron, and mom, I never want to have to kill again! Kasumi, who was a boy at the time, noticed that something was wrong with me. And nice and caring as Kasumi is, he comforted me. But that is not all. From there it grew into more, and to make a long story short… we confessed our feelings. Mom, Kasumi loves me.

**  
**And one thing he told me impressed me the most: he said that it is not the form that is important, not whether I am a girl or a boy, but that it is the person inside that is important. And that he loves this person. Kasumi loves me, the whole me, and I think I love him, her, whatever too. No, I don't just think I love Kasumi, I know it. I love him/her more than anything else. But I can't say it to her/him as of yet, courtesy of stupid pops. :( Please don't tell Kasumi either. I want to be the one when the time is right.

**  
**Guess what? I actually started to shoot some of pops stupid teachings out of the window. That was so cool! You know how difficult it is for me to show emotions, and Kasumi talked me into doing so more often. He was so damn convincing, and when he said that I should imagine the reaction of stupid pops to me kissing her/him in public I nearly burst a gut!

**  
**Kasumi is the most wonderful person I have ever met and I want it to work out between us. More than anything else. I will do everything for it, that I swear. And if pops dares to intervene, may the heavens be merciful on him, for I will be not. Apropos pops, if he misbehaves just beat on him until he is unconscious. That's the most effective way to shut him up. :)

**  
**But now to a very important thing: mom, get Akane to a doctor or shrink as soon as possible! She has apparently been poisoned by Shampoo, with an anger-enhancing potion I have forgotten the name of. Akane has to take some medication to calm her down; those calming herbs Kasumi used are not effective enough. Cologne wanted to stop by and see to it herself once she returned to Nerima, and if she has not already, then please get Akane help.

**  
**And no, I will not go back to how it was. According to Cologne the poison only enhanced what was already there, so Akane was already angry at me and did not trust me, which comes as no surprise, as this has been her state of mind concerning me ever since I got to know her. And I can do very well without insults, malletings, mistrust and clobberings. I may have loved her once, but not any more. I have no idea what I feel for her, but all the love I held for her as one would love his future mate is dead.

**  
**I am happy now with Kasumi, and I will not allow anyone or anything to change this. For the first time since long I feel really happy, and you wouldn't believe how good it feels! If stupid pops has a problem with that, feel free to give him a free lesson in pain. And believe me, what lays in my training trip with pop gives you more than enough reason to be angry with him too. :(

**  
**Now to what happened three nights ago. First of all, we bought some more supplies for our trip, and thank you for the money you gave me. It really comes in handy. :) Afterwards we went into a park, and now don't get your panties in a knot mom, but we got ambushed.

**  
**Yes, ten ugly guys, the member of some gang, ambushed us in the park, in broad daylight! The leader wanted to rape me, as I was a girl at the time, and as one of his goons had a knife to Kasumi's throat the situation did look very bleak. Then the guy with the knife made the mistake to hurt my love, and I saw red. I freed Kasumi, and he fell back so that they could not take him as a hostage. Then I demolished the guys, but good.

**  
**Don't worry, I did not kill or paralyze anyone, but they won't be molesting any girls for a long time. I nearly broke every single bone of each pervert, and I used a new pressure point technique Cologne taught me. Now what does it, you ask? #grin# Well, it ensures that none of those bastards will be able to perform in the next half year. Not that any one of them will have occasion to, as they have all been taken into custody by the police.

**  
**Afterwards we sat together with the people who were formerly terrorised by the gang, and we enjoyed a nice picnic.

**  
**Gotta say bye now, mom. We just bought some snacks, and I'm hungry again. Well, I'm a growing girl, boy, whatever.

**  
**Your child,

**  
**Ranma. With many greetings from Kasumi.

**  
**P.S.: write back soon, we'd like to know what happened in Nerima. We will try and stop by at a w-lan hotspot at the end of each day to check our mails. Greetings to everyone!

**  
**───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
**Satisfied with the contents of the mail, Ranma sent it, logged of from the net and closed the notebook. Then she stored it in the notebook-bag which she then stored in her personal stuff space. Afterwards the two enjoyed the warming rays of the spring sun, and only one hour later Ranma used one of the public restrooms to change back into a guy. Then the two cursed individuals continued their travel.

**to be continued…**

**  
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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

**  
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	17. Revelations and the arrival

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 17: Revelations and the arrival**

**  
Nerima, roughly two weeks ago…**

**  
The Nekohanten**

**  
**It was the late Tuesday evening when Cologne had finally returned to Nerima. She had used the good opportunity to harvest some of the valuable herbs that grew in the area around the Mlao plains and she had also enjoyed the peace and quiet. To be honest, her great-granddaughter and that annoying male Mu-Tzu could be quite a handful and to say that they grated on her nerves from time to time would be the truest statement ever.

**  
**Right now her Xian-Pu was the one who was grating on her nerves the most. For everything pointed into the direction that she had indeed used the fèi zeng jìn dú pin. That could have very undesirable consequences for her great-granddaughter. For also the Japanese had the concept of a blood-feud and should her Xian-Pu have really poisoned Tendo Akane, who knew how the Tendos would react. After all, both father and youngest child were not known for their patience.

**  
**Finally opening the side-door Cologne entered her restaurant. Checking the building for ki she noticed that nobody was there. Hobbling inside on her staff Cologne sat her huge backpack on the ground and began to make herself a strong tea. She had the hunch that she'd need one.

**  
**When she was done she pogoed back into the restaurant area and she noticed the letter which was lying on one of the tables. She went over to read it and it stated in short and precise Mandarin that Mousse and her great-granddaughter were busy making deliveries.

**  
**Apparently two local and rivalling companies had decided to sponsor concurring conventions and both companies had ordered food for the occasion. And not any food, but traditional Chinese food. Which was quite okay with Cologne as it would mean extra earnings for them. Hmm, maybe she'd be able to get the new upgrades she wanted for her notebook…

**  
**Away from the tribe it was always so difficult to get good new components as they were much more expensive. But that would matter at another time. First she had to check if her great-granddaughter and Mousse had catalogued and stored the herbs and fungi she'd sent them out to retrieve correctly. Thus she grabbed her backpack and hobbled into her own room to store the examples of Japanese flora she had collected into the designated cupboards.

**  
**As those herbs and fungi had a low 'security classification' the two young Joketsozuku had been able to catalogue and store them, and apparently they had done so correctly. "Well, it's a relief that they managed to do at least this." she muttered to herself.

**  
**Suddenly her ki-senses flared up and the Elder noticed the presence of two familiar kis. Yes, her great-granddaughter and Mousse were apparently back. Good. Now it was time to confront her great-granddaughter and if she really had done what the evidence indicated it would be time for damage control and an apology. And a few prayers to Aphrodite that the Tendos would not start a (justified) blood-feud.

**  
**Pogoing back downstairs Elder Cologne reached the restaurant area just in time to see how Xian-Pu stored the money she had made. Mu-Tzu was his usual self and leered at her. Well, in reality he was leering at the new statue in the corner but that was beside the point.

**  
**Being the warrior that she is Xian-Pu noticed the approach of her great-grandmother. Her face turned solemn and formal. °_Hello honoured great-grandmother. It is good to see you back in excellent health._° she said in Mandarin and with a polite bow.

**  
**Cologne nodded in reply but her expression remained stern. Fact that did not go unnoticed by the two youths. "Hey old mummy, what's with the sour face? Did Saotome finally die on you and made the way free for me?" Mu-Tzu asked.

**  
**°_Silence!_° Kuh Lon exclaimed and bopped him hard on the head with her staff. °_What comes now is much too important for joking around, Mu Tzu, so keep your tongue in check._°

**  
**Mu Tzu noticed the tone of voice Kuh Lon had spoken in and he immediately noticed that it would not be a good idea to make the Elder angry. °_My apologies, Elder. Do you want me to leave?_°

**  
**Kuh Lon shook her head. °_What I have to say now is also for your ears, and I will need a witness._° Then she turned her head away from the surprised Mu Tzu and towards her great-granddaughter. Her face grew even sterner. °_Xian-Pu, I am ashamed of your behaviour. To use underhanded tricks after I forbade them is not how a warrior should act. After I had deemed the usage of poisons, herbs and other related means dishonourable you should have pursued Ranma the way our ancestors did. With all your heart, mind, spirit and body. That you used the fèi zeng jìn dú pin makes matters much worse. You do realise that this could cause a blood-feud with the Tendos, which is something that would direct undesirable attention towards our tribe? I will have to punish you, great-granddaughter._°

**  
**Xian Pu looked incredulous at her great-grandmother while Mu Tzu boggled. His Xian Pu should have done _what_? °_Whatever are you talking about, great-grandmother? It's true that I wanted to use this poison to make that violent girl lose the engagement to my Ranma before she actually managed to **kill** him, but I never did. That seemed dishonourable even to me so I continued to make her angry the old-fashioned way. And it worked like a charm._°

**  
**Kuh Lon nearly fell off her staff. °_You mean to tell me that you did **not** use the fèi zeng jìn dú pin? Then where is it? Can you **prove** that you did not use it? I'm also missing one of the blowtubes and one of the special arrows. And make no mistake, great-granddaughter, I'll notice if they were used._° she said with a stern expression.

**  
**Her great-granddaughter nodded and reached into her stuff-space from which she recovered the utensils in question. She handed them to her great-grandmother who instantly inspected them on the table of one of the booths, and that quite thoroughly. What she found out surprised her. Xian-Pu _had_ told the truth. She had indeed _not_ used the poison, for the packages were still sealed.

**  
**And Kuh Lon knew that those seals were still intact and had not been tampered with. After all, she had sealed them herself and placed some of her ki in place to prove any breaches. These had not been tampered with, and also the blowtube and arrow were unused. With disbelief she turned to her great-granddaughter. °_Holy Aphrodite, that does mean that the anger the young Tendo displayed was all her own! Then there is only one explanation… yes! That I did not see it much earlier! Come with me, children, we have to get to the Tendos!_°

**  
-.-**

**  
**With that cryptic statement Kuh Lon used her staff to pogo out of the building closely followed by Xian-Pu and Mu Tzu. All three took to the rooftops, and minutes later the Amazon trio reached the Tendo Dojo, place of many conflicts but also solutions, and sacral home of the Tendos.

**  
**The three Amazons made themselves known at the frontgate rather than to Bakusai Tenketsu the wall like Xian-Pu had done so often in the past. This was a formal and official visit and they didn't want to give anyone the wrong impression.

**  
**Moments later Soun Tendo arrived at the front gate and opened it after he had overcome his initial surprise. "Elder Cologne," he said with a polite bow, "to what do we owe the honour of your visit?" he asked.

**  
**Cologne indicated a small bow. "It would be better if we discussed this inside, Tendo Soun."

**  
**The Tendo patriarch nodded. It was the polite thing to do. "But of course, Elder Cologne. You know the way." he said with a small smile.

**  
**With that the Soun led up the way to the house, closely followed by three Amazons. Two of them wondered what in Aphrodites' name had happened now and how it was related to Ranma. The Tendo patriarch led the Amazons into the living room and the four sat down. Genma, who was sitting at the Shogi board looked up and nodded curtly, while Akane and Nabiki came down from upstairs, as they had heard the door go. Nodoka, who had been working out with her katana in the dojo came too.

**  
**A towel was hanging around her shoulders and she was wearing a black tank-top and black spandex. Fact, that made her look even more like her part-time-daughter as it accentuated her figure in the right´ ways. The Saotome matriarch greeted the visitors with a polite bow and the Amazons reciprocated the greeting in kind.

**  
**Once everyone was seated Cologne began her explanation as to why they were here. "I'll come right to the point. Tendo Akane, I had just reason to believe that you had been poisoned by my great-granddaughter." she said and held up her tiny hands to forestall any further-going comments than the common "WHAT!"

**  
**"Yes, when I checked my stockings I noticed, that a batch of the fèi zeng jìn dú pin, a blowtube and a special arrow were missing. This in addition to Tendo Akane's behaviour in the past months after Jusendo was evidence enough for me. Or so I thought."

**  
**"WHAT!" Akane yelled, "It wasn't my fault that I lost the engagement to Ranma? It was that bimbos?" she asked with a growl and got up, teeth bared.

**  
**Not even her medication could help to keep her temper in check now, for now she had proof that it hadn't been her fault. That stupid bimbo was at fault! A red haze was forming before her eyes and for the first time in days she felt the customary feeling she always felt when she reached for her mallet. "YOU! SHAMPOO NO BAKA!"

**  
**Cologne watched with interest and let the situation progress. As suspected, her great-granddaughter was boiling mad too. Her bonborries already drawn she assumed a defensive stance. But as soon as the mallet appeared in Akane's hands Soun Tendo stood up, much to the surprise of many. "Daughter, you will not harm any of our guests. Put that mallet away and let Elder Cologne finish her explanation. NOW!"

**  
**Akane was so surprised at being called back by her father that her mallet winked out of existence and Cologne nodded once more to herself. That had been most enlightening. "Thank you, Tendo Soun. Now if we all could put away our assorted weaponry," she said with a glace at her great-granddaughter, who obliged and stored her bonborries in her stuff-space, "I could finish my explanation." she said from her spot on her cushion.

**  
**All present nodded while Akane sat down too, although somewhat reluctant and still steaming. Nodoka had taken precautions and served her a calming tea. Cologne noticed this, and nodded into the other woman's direction. "This is good, Saotome Nodoka, but not strong enough. And no, it has nothing to do with any kind of poisoning. As I said before I was interrupted, I suspected that Shampoo had poisoned Tendo Akane. But she could prove that she had not. Here," she said, and produced the items she had confiscated, "this are the items I had been missing. Tendo Soun, I know that you are sensitive to ki. What do you see and sense?" she asked.

**  
**Curious the Tendo patriarch got up from his cushion and examined the items in question. Even Genma who had pretended to ignore the on goings up till now came to the table and took a look too. After all he was not a master of ki-detection and manipulation for nothing.

**  
**And after the explanation the two masters looked at each other and saw in each others eyes that the other had found out the same. "These have not been used." they said in unison.

**  
**"How can you be sure, dad?" Nabiki asked. "It could have been exchanged. Who says that little sis was not poisoned through the usage of other equipment?" she questioned further and Akane nodded empathically.

**  
**"Yeah, the bimbo could have used other equipment, couldn't she?" she asked glowering, silently thankful for her sisters' support.

**  
**Nodoka used this opportunity to put a cup of tea in front of her and whispered a few words in her ear. Surprisingly Akane nodded some moments later, sat down and began sipping her tea. A satisfied Nodoka nodded to herself and sat down too.

**  
**Cologne looked into the round. "This is a valid question, Tendo Nabiki, and one I expected from someone of your caliber." she said with a cackle. "But I swear on my honour as an Amazon Elder that none of the other equipment which could have been used was used. You," she pointed at Genma and Soun, "noticed yourself that the more dangerous stuff is equipped with a ki-marker so that its use can be traced. I checked my whole equipment and none of it was used. If you want, to Tendo Soun, you can check my whole equipment with Saotome Nodoka as witness. This I swear on my honour. Tendo Akane was not poisoned, at least not by my great-granddaughter." she said cryptically.

**  
**"Not by your great-granddaughter?" Nodoka asked and beat the others to the punch. "But you mean that someone did? Who?" she continued her questioning, and everyone looked at Elder Cologne.

**  
**Said Elder smiled sadly. "I am afraid that Tendo Akane poisoned herself." she said and dropped the bombshell.

**  
**"WHAT!" Akane exclaimed unsurprisingly. "Why would I be so stupid as to poison myself? I would never be so dishonourable as to frame someone even if it is someone like the bimbo. One sec… has someone given me some poison without my knowledge? In ramen for example?" she asked voicing not only her suspicion.

**  
**But again Elder Cologne shook her head. "No, Tendo Akane, no outside influence was involved. And I witnessed the reason for your uncontrollable anger and your volatile temper myself just minutes ago. It is your mallet, Tendo Akane."

**  
**"What do you mean by that?" asked Nabiki for her stunned little sister and everyone except Akane, who was muttering something to the effect of "My trusty mallet? How?" watched with curiosity.

**  
**Elder Cologne however waited until she also had the full attention of Akane. Only then she began to explain. "Your mallet, Tendo Akane, is a ki-attack." she said and dropped yet another bombshell.

**  
**Silence. Then... "WHAT! I can do ki-attacks?"

**  
**The matriarch of the Joketsozuku nodded again. "Your mallet is an uncontrolled ki-attack. And a very problematic one."

**  
**"Why is that, Elder? Wouldn't it make the situation less problematic if she learned how to do it voluntarily?" Nodoka asked and Akane's concentration switched from Nodoka to Cologne.

**  
**Said Elder shook her head. "No it wouldn't. As said the mallet is a ki-attack and this in and on itself is not bad. But that it is emotion-based and based on anger no less is a _big_ problem."

**  
**"And why is that?" Akane asked somewhat miffed. She did not like where this was going.

**  
**The Elder sighed. "Akane, I am an Elder for more than 200 years now and I know everything about ki there is. Your mallet is a ki-attack based on anger. And if you base your ki-attacks on emotions, say anger or confidence, then you will over time come into a state where you can feel nothing else. Even when you're normal´. And that has already begun in your case Tendo Akane. The more often you use the mallet the angrier you will become until you will begin to mallet even normal, innocent people. What happened in the past are good examples."

**  
**As well Akane as the rest of the attendees and that included even Shampoo and Mousse, were flabbergasted, but the middle sister of the Tendos regained her wits fast. "So you mean to say that if little sis here continued to use that mallet of hers she'd eventually end up killing someone?"

**  
**The Elder nodded sadly, while Akane tried to grasp the concept. "M... my mallet makes me so angry? N... no, I can't believe it. My trusty pervert-basher?" she asked disbelieving.

**  
**The matriarch nodded once more. "It is true, Tendo Akane. I just realised some minutes ago that your mallet might be a ki-attack. And your attempted attack on my great-granddaughter gave me the proof I needed. I will also have to warn Ranma as s/he uses a ki-blast based on confidence. For what happens if you'd constantly use confidence-based blasts?"

**  
**Nabiki wanted to answer but Akane had arrived at a conclusion too. And for once she had not jumped to conclusions but used her rather high intelligence. "If what you say is true then you would get so confident over time that your confidence would then turn into over-confidence. And a martial artist who is over-confident might act cocky and get him- or herself killed." she said with a great deal of thoughtfulness.

**  
**The Elder smiled. "Excellent, Tendo Akane." she said in genuine praise which caused Akane to smile satisfied. "And what I said _is_ true. Your anger-based mallet-attack makes it important to begin with some meditation techniques as soon as possible. If you'll allow, Tendo Soun, we'll start working on it tomorrow. This can not be allowed to go on else Tendo Akane might destroy the life of not just herself." she said gravely.

**  
**Soun Tendo gulped as he realised the gravity of the situation and proving that he was indeed regaining his backbone and spirit he did not break out into a torrent of tears, but made a decision. "I allow it, Elder Cologne. And thank you for your help."

**  
**Cologne nodded. "But you, great-granddaughter will be punished anyway. You stole a highly dangerous poison, a blowtube and a very sophisticated bio-synthetical arrow. And you had at least planned to use it and you know what that means."

**  
**Shampoo hung her head. "Yes, hibachan. That Shampoo steal against orders of Elder is bad. Attempt also as bad as real thing. Shampoo realise that. But why you call airen Ranma and not 'son-in-law'? Makes no sense to Shampoo. You is always calling airen son-in-law!"

**  
**The matriarch sighed. "Better sit down again, great-granddaughter. This will really knock you off your feet as they say here."

**  
**Then the Elder began to explain what had happened and what the tribe had decided. Shampoo was growing increasingly paler throughout the one-sided conversation and even Akane, who had been her rival, looked pitying at the girl. And Akane began to realise that Shampoo had really loved Ranma as much as she had. But like her love it had been in vain and like Shampoo, she had destroyed this love through her own actions and words.

**  
**Now Akane realised that she did not have the luxury of an excuse for her own faults but that her mallet had caused all this. And if she thought logically about it, in the end she really had _needed_ to mallet Ranma to work off her anger. It was the same thing as it had been for Ryoga. She knew of the effects of the Shi Shi Hokodan and that it temporarily relieved Ryoga of his depression but she had never made the connection to her anger and that it was the same for her.

**  
**But looking at Shampoo she saw that she was at least as miserable as she had been and in contrast to Shampoo she had had some time to accept the reality. She had lost any chance at Ranma and so had Shampoo. Despite the fact that they had been rivals her heart went out to the other girl and she got up and went over to the Amazon girl.

**  
**It was visible that Shampoo was fighting tears when Cologne had finished her explanation and the effects the contract with Ranma had and Akane softly laid her hands on Shampoos shoulders. Surprisingly the Amazon girl did no resist. Instead she muttered "I is Amazon warrior… I not cry…" like a mantra.

**  
**But finally the dam broke and not even Cologne chided her great-granddaughter for showing weakness. She, Cologne, had made many mistakes in her life and it would be a grave mistake to forbid her great-granddaughter to cry over her loss.

**  
**Xian-Pu had loved Ranma, that Cologne had known ever since the Ghost-Cat incident. Thus, instead of chiding Xian-Pu for crying in front of outsiders she added her tiny arms to the embrace in an effort to comfort her crying great-granddaughter.

**  
**The Elder was surprised and impressed that Akane had made the effort to comfort her former rival but it showed that the Tendo girl had a good heart and character , worthy of her help. The girl had just been misguided by her anger and thus had lost any chance with Ranma too. Yes, there were other fish in the sea, but Ranma was special and thus it was really no surprise that the girls cried over their loss. They had lost and to someone they'd have never expected.

**  
**But before her great-granddaughter could form any coherent thought of resistance against the decision of the council and by proxy against her, she made a suggestion. ° _Xian-Pu, my great-granddaughter, my own flesh and blood, the loss of your Airen is tragic, but it had to happen for the greater good of the tribe. Had we forced him/her into our tribe, s/he would have brought it down. You saw what s/he did to Saffron and now Ranma is even stronger than the god. S/he would not have been happy in our tribe, and that we made him/her our ally was the only solution acceptable. I know how much it hurts you, I know how much you loved Ranma and still do, but s/he loves someone else. You must accept this, my Xian-Pu, or you will never lead a happy and fulfilled life. If you don't let go, not even Aphrodite can help you, and I don't want that._° she said with emotion thick in her voice.

**  
**This fact alone made Xian-Pu look up for she had never heard her great-grandmother speak this way to her. In her youth she had raised her emotionlessly to be the village champion, a beautiful fighting machine which was called to duty in fights.

**  
**That had not changed much after the incident with Ranma-onna but she had to admit to herself that their relationship had slowly changed in the duration of their stay in Japan. And now she had proof that her great-grandmother did care for her. °_But what about the outsider rules, great-grandmother? Won't I be killed or locked forever now that I failed?_° she asked in a sad voice.

**  
**Now Kuh Lon actually smiled and stroked her hair. °_No, child, you won't. I had the kisses dissolved, and you know what? The whole Kisses will be cancelled out of our rule-books forever. I finally succeeded, and those kisses will never harm anyone ever again. Especially what happened to you, my child, made it clear to me that no one should ever have to suffer so much like you and Ranma. You are free, child, and so is Ranma._°

**  
**Mousse, who had been sitting on his cushion in silence grinned at this and smirked at Xian-Pu. In truth he smirked at Nodoka as the duck-boy was once more to vain to wear his glasses. A hard bop to the head later the Amazon boy finally applied his glasses and what he saw was not to his liking. "If you think that you have now a shot at my great-granddaughter, boy, then think again. It is now up to her who she chooses as the old rules for marriage challenges will also soon be history. Only if both Amazons agree to the challenge and only then, a challenge will take place. And I highly doubt that my great-granddaughter will accept a challenge for her hand from you."

**  
**Shampoo nodded empathically. "I never accept challenge from stupid duck-boy. I no love you, stupid Mousse!"

**  
**Cologne looked at the myopic boy. "You heard it, Mr. part-time. I suggest that you get your vision fixed and find someone else. My great-granddaughter is not interested in you."

**  
**Mousse looked disbelieving. "B… but my Shampoo… I love you! And I know that you love me too! Who makes you say those things?"

**  
**The Elder bopped him on the head again. "Boy, how do you think does my great-granddaughter _really_ feel about you? You think she loves you? Would you love anyone who pesters you constantly and who obsesses about you? This is no love, boy, it is what the Japanese call stalking. And I as your Elder have tolerated this behaviour long enough. Wouldn't it have been for your great-grandmother I would have intervened long ago. But I admit that I thought your behaviour towards my great-granddaughter would serve to make Ranma jealous and would urge him to finally confess his feelings for Shampoo but as this is over and done with there is no base for your obsessions any more. So it is my will that they immediately be stopped."

**  
**Akane stepped over to dumbfounded Mousse. "Mousse, we know each other a long time, ever since you kidnapped me. Have I ever lied to you?" she asked and looked him into the eyes.

**  
**The Amazon youth returned the look, then he bowed his head. "No, Tendo Akane, you have not. What is it that you want to tell me?" he asked dejectedly.

**  
**The youngest Tendo girl smiled somewhat. "You surely have heard about these stupid morning fights I had to endure until Ranma arrived, right?" she asked. At his nod she continued. "Those boys were obsessed with me and did pester me constantly. They declared their love for me and claimed they were doing all of it out of love. Even attacking me and others. Do you have any idea how much I hated it? And you did the same to Shampoo even if unwittingly. Mousse, Shampoo does not love you and you can not force her to love you nor _should_ you. But this it not the end of the world. There are many more girls out in the world who consider you a very handsome guy. So please let go of this obsession before it hurts anyone more than it already has. Most of all you."

**  
**Mousse thought long moments about her words, and finally, with a haunted look, he looked at Shampoo. °_Please tell me honestly, Xian-Pu… do you love me? Have you **ever** loved me?_°

**  
**Shampoo returned his look with something akin pity. °_No, Mu Tzu, I have not. In our childhood we were best friends despite your handicap, and because of my upbringing I did not care. I had so few friends that I cherished the few I had. And when you obsessed over me it killed me inside. I could not return your love because I held none for you, not the way you wanted me to love you. Mu Tzu, I have never loved you nor will I ever. But I hope we can be friends, like in old times…_°

**  
**This emotionally brutal response was what the doctor had prescribed for Mousse finally saw it clearly. He really _had_ obsessed over Shampoo and _had_ stalked her. He had become what he had never wanted to become, someone his tribe called an annoying male. And it had taken an outsider woman to make him realise that. How could he have been so blind? Hadn't she said more often than he could count that she did not love him?

**  
**Damn, how much time he had wasted on an unrequited love. And he had hurt someone who had been his friend in the process, a friend who had never wanted to be anything else. And sadly for him this was not one of those cheesy soap operas where love could grow from friendship. For that to happen he had screwed up too thoroughly. That she had said 'I hope we can be friends' had been the death sentence for his love.

**  
**Even _he_ knew from TV shows that this sentence when uttered by a female meant the ultimate end for a relationship. Robbed off of his delusions he felt himself nodding towards the waiting Shampoo. °_Yes, Xian-Pu, I would like that. Friends. But now please excuse me… I have to think about some things._°

**  
**Then the myopic boy bowed towards the present attendees. "If you would excuse me, I have to go. And my heartfelt thanks to you, Tendo Akane. You opened my eyes." he said with a deeper bow towards her.

**  
**Akane smiled at him. "I'm glad I could help you, Mousse. I hope you'll find what you're searching for."

**  
**Mousse looked back with a small smile. "That I hope too…" he said and walked out of the door.

**  
**Nabiki had looked interestedly at the byplay between Mousse and Akane and she wondered if that had only been the customary friendliness of Akane towards people who needed help or if it had been more. Hmm, it seemed as if she'd have to keep an eye on a certain duck-boy…

**  
**Cologne nodded to herself from her place at the table. "I am glad that this has finally been cleared up. Now to other matters, great-granddaughter. Ranma is not completely out of your life if you should wish so, Shampoo." she said to the surprise of everyone present.

**  
**Nodoka looked irritated. "What do you mean, Elder? I thought we had established that any claim on Ranma from your side is invalid."

**  
**The Elder nodded. "And that is the case, Saotome-san. What I have to propose or should I better say suggest in face of how this word has been misused in the past," she said with a look at Genma, who began to sweat, "is, that you, my Shampoo, become the shield sister of Ranma. She is an accepted ally of the tribe thus it would be possible. But think about it, great-granddaughter, and take your time with the decision." she said towards a surprised Shampoo.

**  
**Everyone was, of course, curious. "What does it mean, Elder? No claim on my child, okay, but what _is_ a shield sister?" Nodoka asked.

**  
**Cologne smiled in response. "I will explain it if my great-granddaughter should decide to act on my suggestion. But I can assure you that it would only have advantages for your child; that I promise. Now you have to excuse us we had a very hard day, my great-granddaughter especially."

**  
**Shampoo nodded thankfully at her great-grandmother, then she looked into the round. "This one sorry that she caused you anger and grief. Only did what she did because she love Ranma. Hope you forgive." she said honestly.

**  
**The Tendos and Saotomes did not think for long. Nodoka nodded with a small smile, after all, she understood that her gentle child attracted a lot of attention and the Tendos nodded too. Everyone understood Shampoo and Akane even hugged Shampoo. "I understand, Shampoo. You did what you did to win Ranma but in the end none of us won. Who knows maybe we can become friends now…"

**  
**The Amazon girl seemed to really consider this. "Maybe vio… Akane is right. Past is past but present and future is important." she said with a bow and waved good bye.

**  
**With that the Amazons departed and they had to admit, Shampoo had taken that a lot better than they would have thought. Nabiki had been worried that the Amazon girl might go on a homicidal rampage when she heard of Kasumi and that she was going on the trip with Ranma and it had been clear that the girl had put two and two together. But this danger seemed to have passed, luckily…

**  
**Now she, and probably Nodoka too, wished for a way to communicate with Kasumi and Ranma to bring them up to date. But as of now no possibility existed…

**  
Present day, Okayama prefecture**

**  
**Six days after they had left the Gifu prefecture a petite, buxom and very beautiful red-headed girl who was wearing a huge backpack arrived in Okayama, accompanied by a tall, handsome brown-haired man.

**  
**Obviously the local kids where still on break in this district, for a lot of boys were hanging out in the arcades that seamed the main-street. And all of them wolf-whistled when they laid eyes on Ranma. Some even drooled and Ranma could count herself lucky that she was wearing one of the undershirts they had bought, now that they had reached Okayama. Kasumi had deemed this precaution as necessary for when they were inside the town.

**  
**Else Ranma would give anyone a free show of her impressive bust-line. And that was something Kasumi did not want. Thus Ranma who was still developing feminine modesty had given in when Kasumi-otoko had asked the simple question if Ranma would like it if Kasumi-onna would give the public a free show of her assets. A bra was for now out of the question as Ranma planned to appear at the Masaki's in male form.

**  
**That she was wearing an undershirt now prevented that more than staring or drooling occurred on the boys´ side. Well, talk about hormonal driven teenagers. Ranma sighed. It was the same thing everywhere. She was however secretly pleased at Kasumi-otokos' reaction. Said cursed Tendo seemed to growl and took her small hand into his rather large one as if to say 'Mine!'

**  
**That he laid his other arm around her waist in a very possessive way made Ranma smile and feel oddly protected. Apparently the male hormones of her boyfriends' body were working overtime as per Kasumi's explanation of what happened when two people fell in love. Not that she minded. At the moment hers were adjusting too so strange feelings were to be expected. And the good thing was most of them were good feelings.

**  
**It really seemed that by staying in the alternate form and not changing back immediately one slowly got used to the different brain and hormonal levels. The downpours that occurred unerringly and seemingly just for them had often hindered Ranma to change back, and after some time s/he had gotten used to it.

**  
**Especially after Kasumi's period had been over and she had 'joined the fun' once more. Ranma would not have admitted it just yet, but maybe her mother had been right and she really _was_ both sides of a coin. But at the moment this thought was deeply hidden inside of Ranma's mind.

**  
**For the moment she shrugged inwardly and leant a bit closer into her 'boyfriend'. Predictably most of the boys looked downcast at seeing this display of affection between the two, especially when they saw the apparently loving look the beautiful redhead was giving the tall man.

**  
**But a few were obviously incorrigible and sought to try it anyway. One especially handsome young man came towards Ranma, apparently ignoring Kasumi-otoko. Which was no easy feet, as Kasumi-otoko was easily towering several inches over the boy. "Hey beautiful," he said towards Ranma, "where have you been all my life?"

**  
**Ranma looked at the idiot before her like one would eye a cockroach. Only not as friendly. "Let me think…" she said and pretended to do just that, "I've been on a ten year martial arts training journey with my father, learning how to beat the snot out of just about anyone, then, for the last year I have been in the Nerima ward, and..."

**  
**That was as far as she got. The boy had suddenly blanched. "_Nerima_! So sorry for having disturbed you, Miss." he half stammered and literally _ran_ back into the Arcade where his friends were waiting.

**  
**Ranma just shrugged prettily and continued her way with Kasumi-otoko inwardly grinning that she had not been forced to reinforce her declinature of his advances.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Meanwhile the boy by the name of Hotaka had returned to his waiting friends. Friends who were really surprised when they had seen their leader apparently stumble over his own words. Something that had _never_ happened before.

**  
**Hotaka sat down heavily on a bar stool. Finally he looked at his friends. "Pals, believe me when I say that we don't want _anything_ from this girl. Do you know where she's from?" he asked into the round.

**  
**Shaking heads. How should they know?

**  
**Hotaka gave the dreadful answer. "Nerima! She is from _Nerima_! And doesn't she look like someone we have seen before? Think of the redhead in the news!"

**  
**Gulps ensued and the boys looked at each other and then nodded gravely. Yup, they all had heard of what was every day life in Nerima. Utter craziness! Reports about Nerimas' local martial artists and this strange flying monster had even been on the news sometimes. And Hotaka even had a distant cousin who went to school there at Furinkan High and he had related all of the stories. The horror!

**  
**If this girl was of any relation to this one guy named Ranma Saotome, the big bad-ass martial artist who was rumoured to kill demons before breakfast as a warm-up and do other equally incredible stuff, they did not want to touch her with a ten foot wide pole.

**  
**Gauging from how attractive the girl was it was a distinct possibility that she was one of his girlfriends, for it was a known fact that Ranma Saotome attracted beautiful girls like the Pied Piper of Hamelin rats. Apparently Ranma Saotome didn't even need a pipe, the lucky bastard. The poor sod over there would surely suffer big time once Ranma Saotome found out that some guy had stolen his girlfriend.

**  
**"Damn," one of the boys, Kenta, exclaimed, "you're right Hotaka! She _is_ the redhead from the news from Nerima! She's the one who fought with all those other girls!"

**  
**The others nodded, now remembering it too and making the connection to the beautiful redhead their leader had tried to entrance. That made it definite. She _was_ one of Ranma Saotomes' girls.

**  
**No, this girl, as beautiful as she was, was a big no. Sighing dejectedly the boys continued to watch out for other hot babes.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma, the girl who was thought to be her male sides' girlfriend, was trying to remember where Tenchi lived. She still hoped that she did not have to cross the bridge and tell Kasumi-otoko that she did not knew exactly any more. She was sure that she had found the spot were the house _should_ have been, but no house there.

**  
**And after some time it became obvious that she was not having any success at finding the house of her friend. Fact that Kasumi-otoko had noticed and voiced after another fruitless search. "Ranma, could it be that you don't _know_ where Tenchi lives? Could it be that you don't remember?" he asked.

**  
**Ranma looked sheepish. "Sorry, Ka-kun. It is a really big house and should not be hard to find. But I can't seem to find it for some reason."

**  
**The cursed Tendo softly cupped Ranmas' chin in his right hand. "And do you know what a girl does when she does not know the way?"

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist shrugged prettily. "No, Ka-kun. What?"

**  
**Now Kasumi-otoko smiled. "Use her feminine charm and _ask_ for the way. And that is what you'll do now, love."

**  
**Ranma seemed to accept this particular truth. Then she started looking around, and a few seconds later her eyes lit up. "An ice-cream parlour! Mmh, maybe I can kill two birds with one stone..." she muttered dreamily.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko shook his head in mirth and followed his 'girlfriend', who was now about to enter the vendors shop. Suddenly Ranmas air practically radiated cute, and every boy in the ice-cream parlour noticed. Unsurprisingly lustful stares ensued.

**  
**Ranma ignored those and looked at the vendor. "Sorry, mister, could you please help me?"

**  
**The vendor looked up from what he was doing. What he saw was a _really_ cute redhead who was looking at him with big, blue eyes. "Umm... how may I be of service, Miss..."

**  
**Ranma smiled.  
"Saotome. Ránmā Saotome."

**  
**A boy, who was sitting right next to them on a bar stool suddenly looked up. Sure, he had noticed the hot babe before and had silently hoped to hitch a date with her despite the fact that she was accompanied by a man. Who had a hand around her waist.

**  
**As if that would have been a hindrance once he would have overcome his shyness. But now he was shocked. And looked pale. Apparently he would get no chance to overcome his shyness. "Ránmā _Saotome_? Any relation to _the_ Ranma Saotome?" he asked with dread.

**  
**Ranma nearly face-faulted. How did he know? "Umm... yes. He is my brother. But how do you know him?" she asked.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko, who was standing beside Ranma was now curious too. Had Nabiki something to do with it? Had she set up a merchandise regarding the martial artists in Nerima or something? He had had the same suspicion in Oume already. Now that was something he would not put past his sister and her enterprising mind.

**  
**The boy had visibly relaxed. Now that he knew that he had not a snowballs chance in hell to get a date with the cute redhead he had overcome his shyness. "You know, there was this news report in which Ranma Saotome fought this other guy who could throw those green fireballs and stuff. In the end, your brother won. He is really cool! Tell him that when you see him next time, Miss, and ask him for an autograph!"

**  
**Ranma looked sheepish. "Will do." She then turned back to the vendor. "Mister, what I wanted to know is if you could tell us where Tenchi Masaki lives."

**  
**A minute later a very satisfied Ranma was leaving the ice-cream parlour with as much ice cream as she could carry, free of charge, of course, and the new address of Tenchi Masaki. It appeared that the house had been relocated to another place, a shrine, to be exact, which had been the obvious reason why she had not been able to find it.

**  
**Ranma had also learned a valuable lesson. If a woman did not know how to proceed further, she only had to act cute and ask. Kasumi had been right; it had worked like a charm!

**  
**Kasumi-otoko had also learned something. Namely that he had a very manipulative 'girlfriend'. The ease with which she had talked the vendor into giving her as much ice cream as she wanted had been awe inspiring. He doubted that even his sister Nabiki would have been as successful.

**  
**Now that they had Tenchi's new address they could finally get to the Masaki house.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Slowly walking hand in hand Ranma and Kasumi-otoko walked towards the address, looking like any normal couple, which, in all essence, they were. If one overlooked the fact that both were cursed to change genders when splashed with water and that one of them was probably the best martial artist on the planet.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko looked at his girlfriend. "Love, what can you tell me about Tenchi and his family?"

**  
**Ranma seemed to think for a moment. "Well, first there is Tenchi. Like me, he is now 17. He is a really nice guy, a real pal, has brown eyes and black hair. You'll like him. Then there is his grandfather, a guy named Katsuhito. He is a Shinto priest, and when I was staying there with Pop he was starting to teach Tenchi the family Art. Oh, and then there is finally Tenchi's dad. He's a bit weird, and if I remember right he's something of a pervert. Always wants to peek at girls 'n stuff. But he ain't as bad as the old lech. Not by a long shot. Essentially, he's harmless."

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded. "And you really think they have enough space for us to stay?"

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist smiled up at her boyfriend. "Well, his father the pervert is also an architect, and apparently a good one. And they have this very big house. What with only the three living there it shan't be no problem taking us in."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded while they were following the directions the vendor had given them. From what he had seen of Okayama they would like it here. It was different from Nerima, but in a good way. Instead of millions upon millions of Dojos this small, rural community nestled in the mountains had very few tall buildings and was spread out quite far into many directions. Here in the outskirts it was really quiet and peaceful. Ranma sighed. Maybe she and Kasumi-otoko would have a peaceful time here. Just maybe...

**  
-.-**

**  
**After some time of walking Ranma had lost her patience and had decided to take Kasumi-otoko up into her arms and run. Apparently the vendor had been right. They should have taken the bus, and they would probably have had to, had not one of them been a super-powered martial artist.

**  
**One fast run later they had reached the forest the vendor had described and were standing before a trail. According to the vendor this trail would lead up to the new location of the Masaki house, where also the Masaki Shrine was located.

**  
**"Ready to find out if we're welcome, Ranma-chan?" Kasumi-otoko asked and took his girlfriends' hand.

**  
**Said Ranma smiled. "With you at my side I can take on anything, Ka-kun. Come, let's go."

**  
**Inwardly beaming at the huge compliment Ranma had made him both cursed individuals proceeded up the trail. The walk through the forest was not particularly long, and the serenity of the place served to calm them down.

**  
**Even Ranma, who still did not have much appreciation for the beauty nature had to offer enjoyed the view of the cherry blossom trees that littered the path. Kasumi-otoko, who was still holding Ranmas hand, sighed contently. This was a very nice place, and he hoped that they would be welcome here. For he'd love to stay here.

**  
**A short while later they finally left the forest (even to Ranmas sorrow) and emerged into a small clearing. Across from it was a huge lake located, and in the background one could see the mountains. It was really a sight to behold, and one could else only see on a panorama card.

**  
**Before them the trail now split up into two possible directions. One possible path lead towards a large house that was located near the lake, and the other lead to a really long series of steps that ran up the side of a mountain. Ranma took this in. Apparently everything had been relocated the same way it had been before the house had been moved. Good. That made it a lot easier.

**  
**Nodding to herself Ranma looked at Kasumi-otoko. "Dunno where those steps lead, Ka-kun. But from what I'd guess probably to the shrine. When I stayed with pop at Tenchi's house before it was moved here his grandfather talked about his shrine in the mountains. Maybe it's there." she said and pointed up the steps. "That," she pointed at the house, "is, as you'll have guessed the house where Tenchi lives. And it is the same one he had in Okayama, that's why I know." she said with a smile."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko was impressed. "Wow, your friend Tenchi must really be rich that they could move the whole house. Reason for me to be envious, Ranma-chan?" he asked teasingly.

**  
**Ranma batted her lashes in answer. "Who knows?" she asked back equally teasingly.

**  
**Seconds later both fell over with laughter, and when they had recovered they shared a kiss.  
"I'd say it is time we change to our birthforms, Ranma-chan." Kasumi-otoko said.

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded. Setting her backpack down she retrieved two thermoses with hot water. Foresighted as always Kasumi-otoko had suggested to get some hot water in the ice-cream parlour, and Ranma had seen the wisdom therein.

**  
**She gave one of the thermoses to Kasumi-otoko and used the cup to upend some warm water over her head. The change came instantly, and seconds later Ranma was a man again. "Odd." was the first thing he said, "It really does not feel so great any more to be a guy again. I mean, I still like being a guy better, but not by much." Then he shrugged. "Guess I'm really starting to get indifferent to the curse."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko who had meanwhile changed into Kasumi-onna nodded. "I know what you mean. I still like this form better too, for it is the body I have been born with, but my male body does not bother me any more, for he is me, too. Now come here, Ranma-kun." she purred.

**  
**Ranma grinned. This was a Sirens call he answered all too gladly. Seconds later their lips locked in a passionate kiss, and boy did it feel good. One could literally feel the love Kasumi and Ranma exuded. This time however they broke the kiss and left it there instead of going further, for they had other priorities for the moment.

**  
**They kissed one more time, but in just this moment a downpour occurred. In the middle of the kiss both cursed individuals suddenly changed genders, and the sensations of the kiss suddenly changed. Not unpleasantly, rather the opposite. And it was an interesting feeling to change forms while kissing. Yes, they would have to experiment with that under a shower or something later...

**  
**A minute later they broke the kiss, and Ranma grumbled about stupid odd downpours while Kasumi-otoko laughed. "Guess we can forget to stay in our birthforms for now. It seems as if the rain wants us to remain this way for now. So, love, which way?"

**  
**Ranma looked at the house and then up at the pathway that apparently led to the shrine. "The house looks somewhat deserted right now, so I'd say lets try the shrine."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded, reset his backpack and started climbing the stairs. Ranma grinned. She had conditioned her boyfriend very well, apparently, for he seemed to see climbing the stairs as an exercise in endurance. Good! That was the Spirit of Anything Goes Martial Arts after all, to turn everything and anything into training. Smirking to herself Ranma bounded up the stairs easily despite her heavy backpack and fell into a springing step beside Kasumi-otoko.

**  
-.-**

**  
**Quite a while later they arrived at the ancient looking Masaki Shrine. Ranma had mused to herself that she could have climbed the 1000 stairs in under a minute, but Kasumi-otoko was just starting to get really into training, so allowances had to be made.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko and even Ranma looked around accretive once they had reached the top. This old Shrine had to be one of the most well kept Shrines they had ever seen, and both cursed individuals had seen quite a lot of Shrines, even if for different reasons. The cobbled pavement was immaculate, the grass was cut to a decent height, and even the trees were all perfectly pruned back. It was the decalcomania of the perfect Shrine.

**  
**Ranma however gasped when she suddenly read a huge aura in the area. It had been a long time since she had felt such a power-level, and her only comparison was the situation she had been in when Cologne had arrived from China. What soothed her worries however was the fact that the aura seemed to radiate peace and quiet and not even an inkling of malice.

**  
**The owner of the aura, however, seemed to be engaged in some kind of physical exercise or meditation, gauging from the ebb and flow of the ki-flows. Ranma decided to investigate and forgot all about changing forms, and Kasumi-otoko followed her closely. Following her lead to the owner of the aura Ranma soon entered something that looked like living quarters. They were sparse, and only consisted of a table, four chairs and some other furniture.

**  
**And there, in the middle of the room two men were seated in lotus positions. So the ebb and flow in the ki-flows had been caused by meditation! The older of the two men was Katsuhito. Ranma remembered him, for he had not changed much from when she had last seen him, over ten years ago. He was still a handsome looking old man with greying hair, dressed in the white robes of his chosen profession.

**  
**The other, younger man had to be Tenchi. While his eyes were closed and their colour could not be determined he had black hair and was bearing some similarity to the Tenchi Ranma had known. Currently he was wearing a fighting gi.

**  
**Suddenly the eyes of Katsuhito snapped open and he noticed the visitors. Sensing that Ranma and Kasumi-otoko did not mean ill and also noticing the really huge ki-reserves of the female, Katsuhito greeted them. "Hello, I am Katsuhito, the keeper of this Shrine. The young man beside me is my grandson Tenchi. How may I help you?" he asked, masking his surprise. This young woman really looked like... no that could not be! She had not had any more children. That he knew! But the resemblance... it was really uncanny! Could that be a coincidence?

**  
**Meanwhile Tenchi had emerged from the meditative state too and was presently doing his best to keep in a major nosebleed. This redhead had to be one of the cutest females he had ever seen! Hopefully she was not here to claim him too; otherwise Ryoko and Ayeka would make meat loaf out of him! "Hello." he said and waved shyly.

**  
**Ranma smiled sheepishly. "Hi, Tenchi." she waved back, which increased Tenchi's blood pressure further. Luckily for him Ranma then looked at Katsuhito again. "I know this will be a bit hard to believe, but we have met before. I am Ranma Saotome. And this is Kasumi Tendo. Sorry 'bout this."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko had to smile at what Ranma had said. Those had been nearly the exact same words she had used when she had arrived the first time at the Tendo Dojo, over a year ago.

**  
**Katsuhito however seemed to sift through his memories. "I am sorry Miss, but the only Ranma Saotome I know is male. And I met him last over ten years ago."

**  
**Ranma sighed. "Ka-kun, if you would?" she asked and pointed at her backpack she was still wearing.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded and produced the thermoses. "Please watch closely now." Ranma said. "Ka-kun?"

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded once more and upended some warm water over Ranmas head, and the she changed into a he. Also Kasumi-otoko used the opportunity for a change of forms.

**  
**Tenchi was nearly blown out of his mind. "W... what? How?" he asked, at a loss of words at having seen a cute redheaded girl change into a tall, handsome and well built young man.

**  
**A man who bore a distinct resemblance to the Ranma Saotome he had come to know over ten years ago and who had become his best friend. That the man beside the former woman had likewise changed genders did not help the condition of Tenchi's poor mind much.

**  
**Katsuhito whereas nodded. Ranma did not notice the hard glint that had appeared in his eyes when he had seen Ranma change. It had been too brief for anyone to notice. "Jusenkyo. Sorry for doubting your word, you really _are_ Ranma Saotome. Your aura does not lie." he said.

**  
**Now Ranma and Kasumi-otoko boggled. "How do you know about Jusenkyo?" Ranma finally asked.

**  
**The Shrine Keeper smiled. "I am well read and have travelled a lot. Among my knowledge is the cognisance of the legend of an area covered in cursed pools, the Pools of Sorrow, also called Jusenkyo. Until this day I had no proof that these Springs existed, but apparently they are real."

**  
**While Tenchi still tried to grasp what was going on, Ranma nodded. "Believe me, they are all _too_ real as we came to know. They are, or better were, located in the Quing Ha province of China near a village called Joketsuzoku, the home of a tribe of Chinese Amazons."

**  
**Katsuhito raised a questioning brow. "_Were_ located, you said?"

**  
**Ranma nodded sheepishly. "Yes. They were destroyed during a fight some months ago and all the pools mixed into one."

**  
**Finally Tenchi's brain had resumed its work once more. Maybe it had been the word 'fight' that had done the trick. "Ranma? Is that really you, Ranma? Were you _really_ that cute redhead of a few minutes ago?" he asked and got up to give Ranma a good look over.

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Yeah, Tenchi, it really is me. And the redhead was also me. Hey pal, long time no see." he said with a sheepish grin.

**  
**The next thing Ranma knew was that he was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug by Tenchi. "It is good to see you again, man! Even if you seem to be a woman sometimes now. How have you been?"

**  
**The cursed martial artist grimaced, and as well Tenchi as Katsuhito sensed instantly that his past was not something to be broached briefly. Katsuhito for his part wondered what exactly one Genma Saotome had done to Ranma. Should he find out that it was as bad as it looked, he would pay him a 'visit'. Promise to Nodoka or no promise. With an act of mental strength however he controlled himself once more and listened to what Ranma had to tell.

**  
**And Ranma began to tell his tale, while Kasumi hugged him from behind. The pigtailed martial artist laid his hands on hers, and a small smile crossed his features. "After I left here my life was anything but a walk in the park. I don't think we now have the time to list all the stupid things my pop did to me, so I give you the highlights for now." he started.

**  
**With that he proceeded to tell them a simplified version of his life on the road. The training, without the full details on the Neko-ken, just that it had taken place, Ukyo, the trip to China, and finally Jusenkyo. The highlights, so to speak. He'd go into the details later. Then he told them how he had found out about the engagement to the Tendos' and how he'd found out over time how often his idiot father had engaged him to some girl, and most often to fill his fat stomach.

**  
**At the multiple engagement part Tenchi visibly cringed. It seemed as if he and Ranma had a lot in common. Katsuhito on the other hand silently steamed at the utter stupidity and the gall of one Genma Saotome. If he did not have the iron control about his powers that he had, he would have exploded in power right now and would have hunted the idiot down.

**  
**But as he _had_ enough self-control, the old Shinto Priest remained seated and listened to what Ranma had to say, his horror growing. How could he ever have made this promise to Nodoka? He should have skinned Genma Saotome alive when he had the chance, his promise be damned. Katsuhito could not believe how careless Genma had been; he knew that the man was not evil but his utter carelessness and single-mindedness had apparently very nearly destroyed a fine young person. It was incredible that Ranma had survived!

**  
**Said Ranma proceeded to tell about the daily situation in Nerima, the constant fights, the insults, everything, and how it all had climaxed: in Kasumi getting cursed and the dissolving of the engagement to Akane due to her actions. And that there were no cures for Jusenkyo curses. The cursed martial artist then said that they had decided with the help of his mother, Cologne and Nabiki, Kasumi's younger sister, that a training trip was called for to find themselves and to get used to their curses.

**  
**He also told Katsuhito and Tenchi how Kasumi they had discovered their feelings and how they both had already begun to come to terms with their curses. While Ranma had talked Katsuhito had grown progressively angrier, especially when Ranma had mentioned the Neko-ken. Only the mastery of his emotions he had learned in several centuries kept him from exploding outright at what Genma had done.

**  
**Nevertheless, he would have to sharpen the Tenchi-ken. From what Ranma had told them, Genma had been cursed to become a Panda. How fitting that a fat, lazy and utterly moronic man should become a fat and lazy animal. Yes, a Panda-fur rug sounded more and more appealing by the second.

**  
**Finally Ranma came to the reason of their visit. "Tenchi, you once said that I could come and stay at your place if I wanted. Does the offer still stand, and would it include Kasumi?" he asked.

**  
**Tenchi smiled instantly. "Of course, pal. You and any of your friends, and especially your girlfriend are welcome any time!"

**  
**Ranma smiled, as did Kasumi. "Thank you, Tenchi. You have no idea how much that means to us!" he said and gave his friend a hug.

**  
**"No prob, pal." Tenchi said.

**  
**After the two friends had released the hug Katsuhito had a question. The aura he was sensing from Ranma was not of Juraian origin, not as far as he could tell, and he'd need better equipment to tell for sure, but it was equally if not even more so powerful than his. In fact, Ranma probably ranged in the category of Kagato. "Ranma, I'd like to know how you became as strong as you are. As far as I can tell, I'd estimate that you are as strong as me, if not even stronger. How came this about?"

**  
**Tenchi was once more nearly blown off his feet and had to sit down. Ranma was as strong or stronger than Gramps? Stronger than the man who had defeated Ryoko over 700 years ago?

**  
**Ranma grimaced once more. "This is related to the big fight that destroyed the Pools of Sorrow." he said with a grim expression. After what Kasumi had said to him about Jusendo, it was a bit easier to talk about it, but it was still hard.

**  
**Sensing Ranma's hesitance Tenchi relented. "Hey, it's no problem if you don't wanna tell. I understand. I, too, had fights I rarely want to talk about." he said in a tone that punctuated his statement and gave it credibility.

**  
**Ranma smiled an agonised smile. "Yes, ya sound like someone who has experienced similar things as me. Tenchi, I know ya as a good friend from my childhood days, and I still trust ya. Please sit down, ya two, for this ya'll better be seated."

**  
**And thus, after everyone (aside from Tenchi, who was already sitting) had sat down around the table, Katsuhito right to Tenchi and Ranma and Kasumi opposite of them and at the others side, and Ranma began to relate what had happened at Jusendo.

**  
**The call for help from the Jusenkyo guide. Their fight with the Phoenix people. How everything had climaxed in the big, decisive fight against Saffron, the immortal Phoenix King. How he had killed Saffron with a revised version of the Hiryu Shoten Ha. And how he had saved everyone, Akane included, at the price of another life.

**  
**Even if this price had been paid only temporary, as Saffron had regenerated and hatched again as a baby. Then Ranma explained how his powers had grown steadily after Jusendo, how his ki-reserves had deepened more and more and how he had become stronger and tougher in both forms.

**  
**Finally he revealed that Cologne, who he had introduced as the Head Matriarch of the Joketsozuku and something of a mentor, had postulated the theory that he had absorbed some if not all of Saffrons powers as the Phoenix god had died. And Ranma also revealed that he had barely begun to tap this new well of power inside of him.

**  
**Ranma's eyes had been fixed on either Tenchi or Kasumi, thus he did not notice the expression Katsuhito had on his face and in his eyes. It was pride.

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

**  
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	18. Introductions gone astray

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 18: Introductions gone astray**

**  
**Ranma, Kasumi, Tenchi and Katsuhito were still seated around the table in the Shinto Priests living quarters when suddenly a young girl entered the room. She had blue hair done in twin ponytails, pink eyes and reminded Ranma instantly of a young version of the former Kasumi before she had received the curse and had been 'freed'.

**  
**Which was not a bad thing in Sasami's case as the young girl was obviously very happy. In her hands she carried a trayful of cookies. "Oh hello!" she exclaimed and Ranma decided instantly that he liked the little girl; she just reminded him too much of a younger Kasumi. "Grandpa, I didn't know that we had guests. Now I have too few cookies. Anyway, hi, I am Sasami. Pleased to meet you!" she exclaimed and bowed politely with the tray of cookies still in her hands.

**  
**The cursed martial artist smiled, got up and bowed back. "Hi Sasami, I am Ranma Saotome. Nice to meet you. And this," he pointed at Kasumi, "is my girlfriend Kasumi Tendo. We will be staying with you for some time."

**  
**Sasami smiled delightedly at the prospect. Guests were always welcome unless they were dead set to destroy the house, Tenchi or Ryoko or anyone else for this matter. Only that Tenchi and Ryoko seemed to be the targets more often than not. "That is nice! I'll go and bake some more cookies!" she exclaimed and set the plate with the cookies she had been carrying down on the table. A second later she had bounded out of the room.

**  
**"What a lovely little girl!" Kasumi exclaimed. The three males could only nod. Tenchi and Katsuhito knew that from experience, and Ranma had already decided upon that he liked her. Maybe if he had had a little sister she would have been like her.

**  
**Katsuhito turned to Ranma. "So, Ranma, how long did you plan to stay? Know that you are welcome as long as you wish. We have more than enough room at the house as you well know."

**  
**Ranma smiled sheepishly. "Yeah I remember. I also remember all the times Tenchi 'n me played hide and seek when baka oyaji was not there to harp at me. But I digress. Well, actually there is something more to our stay."

**  
**Tenchi as well as Katsuhito raised a brow at this and Ranma began to explain. "You have seen our curses." he began, and both men nodded. "I have had mine a bit more than a year now but due to my stupid father and his constant harping about how all girls are weak, stupid and worthless I never had time or occasion to get used to my curse. Plus there was the matter of a stupid Seppuku contract my father had concocted and tricked me into signing that said we would commit Seppuku if I was not a 'man among men' after my return from the training trip."

**  
**Tenchi was shocked. This he had not expected. "WHAT? Seppuku?"

**  
**The pigtailed boy nodded. "Yeah, but I'll come to that later. Luckily my mother let go of her weird views of manliness some time ago and decided that I should live by the rule of being a gentle person." he said with a smile. "I'll explain this later, too. After Kasumi here got cursed to become a man when hit with cold water my mother Nodoka Saotome," Katsuhito smiled sadly for a brief moment at hearing the name, "we, Elder Cologne and us, decided that Kasumi and I had to go on a training trip to come to terms with our curses." he said and grabbed a glass of water to sooth his sore throat. All this talking made thirsty.

**  
**However before he could continue Kasumi had taken up the plot. "After some time of training with Elder Cologne in the Amazon Arts, Ranma and I travelled towards Okayama. We took stops at shrines and trained in Ranma's family art. At first we tried to stay in our birthforms as much as possible but we soon found out that it was impossible. Thus we began to teach each other how to behave, speak and act according to our gender. That was also when we noticed how deeply we love each other." she said with a slight blush. "Our plan is to stay in our cursed forms for at least three months and to this end we have received a special waterproof soap from Elder Cologne. Once it has been applied to the skin under usage of a cold shower it latches unto the curse and locks it. This lock will stay active for ten days and we won't be able to change back to our birthforms during that time."

**  
**"How do you change normally? And does it hurt?" Tenchi asked, clearly fascinated.

**  
**"Normally we change to our cursed, or alternate forms as we have labelled them, with cold water. One factor of the curse is that the cursed individual is turned into a water magnet. And that is meant literally. If there is any chance to get splashed you _will_ get splashed. If there is none the curse creates such a situation and you'll get splashed anyway. The change back to our birthforms happens with the appliance of warm water." Kasumi explained. "And no it does not hurt. It is more like a whole-body-tingling."

**  
**Tenchi nodded, and then gulped as he realised something. "You two, be wary of Washu. She'd _love_ to get either of you into her lab."

**  
**Katsuhito nodded sagely. "That is safe to assume."

**  
**Ranma raised a brow. That sounded like some insane scientist from one of the Gaijin movies. "Washu? Who is this?"

**  
**Tenchi shuddered briefly. "Well, foremost Washu is the greatest scientific genius in the uni... ahem, world. And that is no joke or boasting. She is a genius scientist and has made some astounding inventions. But be very careful. If she sees someone of interest she'll try anything to drag him or her into her lab to study the person intently. And when I say intently I _mean_ intently. It took me a week to be able to sleep nightmare-free after her last surprise check-up on me. She may look like a twelve year old but she really is the best scientist on this world. Best call her Washu-chan or little Washu. That she likes best and it also improves your chances to stop her from changing you into something you are not meant to be. But try your utmost to stay out of her lab!"

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi looked at each other. That did not sound good. "Anyway, we want to live three months in our alternate forms to get used to them. I admit that I already feel better about my female half what with that stupid Panda not around. If it would somehow be possible to change the trigger of the curse it would be wonderful." the cursed martial artist said.

**  
**Tenchi suppressed another shudder. "Then Lil' Washu is your best and probably only choice. If there is a way, she'll find it."

**  
**The two cursed individuals looked at each other again, and then nodded. "It is worth a shot." Ranma said for them both. "But first we'll live those three months in our other bodies. That is also how long we'd estimated to stay. In this time I want to learn how to be a woman while Kasumi wants to learn how to be a man. And with the help of the other we'll succeed." he finished and leaned sideward towards Kasumi and gave her a deep kiss.

**  
**Katsuhito smiled. One could see on first look that those two were obviously and truly in love. And the Shinto Priest was happy for Ranma. If any one deserved happiness then it was Ranma. That was also why he was not sure how to broach the topic he would have to talk about sooner or later.

**  
**The old Shinto Priest noticed with pride that Ranma was _very_ powerful; s/he was indeed Nodoka's child. And even though these powers Ranma began to access did not seem to be Juraian in origin at first glimpse it was obvious that they _were_ far above average even compared to the strongest human martial artist. Katsuhito had also encountered Happosai in his long life and for a human the diminutive man had been really strong; but even the founder of the Anything Goes style would not be able to compare to Ranma any more in his opinion.

**  
**No, he would have to tell Ranma the truth sooner or later; it would also lift a burden from his soul that had nothing to do with the promises he had made to Nodoka. Too bad that it would heap more onto the shoulders of this fine young individual than s/he was already carrying. But thus was Destiny.

**  
**Hmm, maybe he should wait until Ranma and his beautiful girlfriend had gotten used to their curses. Or was she more than a girlfriend? "Ranma, if you don't mind my interest but are you two engaged? I mean it is obvious how you feel about each other and as a Shinto Priest I can only say that I am glad for the two of you."

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi looked at each other. "If ya mean ta ask if we're engaged..." Ranma said and paused to smile lovingly at Kasumi while he drew her nearer to himself, "the answer is not _yet_."

**  
**Kasumi blushed pleasantly and leant a little closer into Ranma. "At the moment we're more like boyfriend and girlfriend, really. Dependent on the form of course." she added as an afterthought.

**  
**Tenchi looked at Ranma astonished. "What, you mean when you're a girl, Ranma, and she's a boy, you're his girlfriend?"

**  
**Ranma blushed, but looked defiant. It was something he had to become used to and at first his primarily male self-image had made this very difficult. But after some time of being in girl-form while Kasumi had been a man he had accepted it. Up till now he suspected that it had something to do with those tongue-curling kisses he had received each time when he had changed into a she, among other things.

**  
**And why should it be any other way? They loved each other and they also had to play the role their changing genders demanded of them. Ranma had also learned that s/he could lean into Kasumi for support when he was a she just as much as Kasumi could in reverse. Before he would have never guessed but Kasumi possessed a quite strength that had surprised him verily. "Yes, that's how it is. Look at it this way. When we are in our birthforms I am Kasumi's boyfriend and she is my girlfriend. Naturally the same applies in reverse when we are in our alternate forms. Then I am Kasumi's girlfriend and he is my boyfriend. Simple, ne?"

**  
**Silence. Then, after a moment Tenchi nodded. "I... see. That's an interesting outlook on the situation but considering your curses probably the only one that keeps you sane."

**  
**Katsuhito nodded in compliance. "That is a very mature assessment of your situation, children. As you said, there are no cures thus it is the only viable option to get used to your curses. You can however benefit from the fact that you have opposite curses as you can learn a lot from the other. But now I have a question. You said that this soap will lock you for ten days per soap bar? And you will continuously lock yourself for at least three months?" Ranma and Kasumi nodded. "Good. That will make things easier."

**  
**Tenchi looked at his grandfather. "What do you mean, gramps?"

**  
**The Shinto Priest looked first at Tenchi and then at Ranma. "Ranma, despite your situation you really should not neglect your education." the old man said. "From what I know of your education up till now it has been questionable at best. But to have the best chances in life you need a good education. In fact the best you can get. Or do you want to be dependent on your father forever? I can't believe this." the old man said and a hint of steel showed in his voice.

**  
**Ranma cocked his head questioningly. "What do you mean?"

**  
**It was Kasumi who looked at him with sad eyes and gave him the answer. "Love, as much as it pains me to say so: from what I know about your father he only plans to use you as a ticket to his retirement. _That _is why he provided you with such a sloppy education and kept you ignorant of many things. He wants to _use_ you and wanted to make you dependent on him. He only plans to get you to take over the dojo through marriage to live off of your hard work. Don't let him succeed, love. Rather you must learn as much as you can." she said and paused to take a breath. Her face changed into a smile. "Sure, I have helped you with this grade and you have improved tremendously but it will not be enough. You need a college degree to become a widely respected and renowned sensei. Even my father has a college degree, love. You must see this as a challenge. A challenge to beat your moronic father in his own game. Become as clever as possible, cleverer than he is."

**  
**The oldest Tendo daughter, like Nodoka, had soon found out how to motivate Ranma to do something that was also in the martial artists' interest. Present Ranma with a challenge. And from the gleam in his eyes she could tell that he _felt_ challenged. "I can't believe the gall of that fat, lazy and moronic panda! So he planned this all along to keep me dumb so that he could use me 'n my wife to fill his fat stomach until he died, did he?" he said in a chilly voice. "I always suspected something like that but to hear it from _you_…"

**  
**The soul of ice was fully engaged as Ranma did not want to give in into his new powers. He did not know if he would not inadvertedly pulverise something. Instead he cooled the room as he started pacing. "I will do my best to never disappoint you, Ka-chan and I will do anything to give us the best possible future. If I have to learn like a lunatic includin' things that don't interest me to do it so be it!" he said with determination and sat down beside Kasumi again.

**  
**Kasumi smiled at her love. What Ranma had said about learning for their future made her really proud of her Ranma. It seemed that he finally had understood just how much his father had really betrayed him and she wondered if the stupid panda would survive their first meeting after they got back to Nerima. She was also very happy that their relationship was growing in leaps and bounds. "Thank you, Ra-kun. I know you will." she said and moved to kiss her love.

**  
**Soon their lips met in a passionate kiss and only the clearing of a throat reminded them that they were not alone. Smiling sheepishly Ranma held the hug he shared with his love and simply enjoyed the pleasure their hug brought. Soon the hug gave way to another soft kiss and Tenchi and his grandfather smiled at each other. Nobody deserved happiness more than those two.

**  
**This smile however changed soon into an evil one as grandfather and grandson were both thinking about a fitting punishment for a certain panda. And once more a certain Genma Saotome, currently in panda-form and playing with a tire in the backyard of the Tendo compound, sneezed.

**  
**After Ranma and Kasumi had come up for air Katsuhito smiled at Ranma. "I'll contact Tenchi's school and have you registered there as a female."

**  
**Ranma looked over at Kasumi who smiled gently at him and nodded. "Sure, as long as there ain't no totally loony principals throwing exploding pineapple bombs or giving all sorta horrible haircuts ta students. And I sure hope they ain't got no loony Kendo adepts who want to shower me with their affections while I am female." he replied with a nod, talking about these topics with the air of someone who talked about the weather.

**  
**Katsuhito looked dumbfounded and Ranma felt it prudent to elaborate what was every day life at Furinkan High. After the brief summary the Shinto priest wondered how anyone should get a decent education at a place like Ranma had described. And he knew enough of Ranma to tell that the youth was not exaggerating. "Do you want to be registered under the same name as your male half?"

**  
**Ranma grinned. "Actually, we have planned ahead regarding this. We've got us ID-cards for our cursed forms, fully official and legal. Turned out there's actually a bureau dealing with Jusenkyo curses. With the help of Nabiki, Kasumi's sister, we were able to get those IDs for our alternate forms. Once we are locked in our alternate forms I will be Ránmā Saotome and Kasumi will be Yoshiro Tendo."

**  
**The old Shinto Priest nodded once more. "Then I will register you under the name of Ránmā Saotome. You can drop out at any given time and transfer to your old school if you want to after those three months that you want to stay with us."

**  
**"Thanks." Ranma said with a smile.

**  
**Katsuhito returned the smile. "You're welcome. The next term starts in two months as far as I know. That should be more than enough time to get used to the curse beforehand. Unless... you could also go to Tenchi's school for the remainder of the term as a guest student. Only if you want to, of course."

**  
**Ranma scratched his head. "I'll think about it. First of all I hafta get used to my curse and all that. Then I'll see."

**  
**The old Shinto Priest nodded. "That's only fair."

**  
**The cursed martial artist actually smiled. Finally no one wanted to pressure him into doing something, finally decisions were up to him. It was a good feeling.

**  
**Tenchi looked once more at his friend, a curious expression on his face. "Ranma, say, is Nerima really as bad as they show in the news?" he asked.

**  
**The cursed martial artist was puzzled for a moment. Then he remembered the boy from the ice cream parlour. "Umm, have there been _many_ news reports from Nerima?"

**  
**"Only then when this strange flying monster that looked like a bull attacked the town or the time when you fought that other boy who could throw ki-blasts." Tenchi said.

**  
**"Oh." Ranma said in a tone that said 'Then everything is dandy'. "This 'strange flying monster' is another cursed victim. He was accidentally cursed when Happosai, the founder of my school, baptised him in a Spring after his birth. At least we believe it was an accident. It was the Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan - the Spring-of-Drowned-Yeti-riding-a-Bull-holding-a-Crane-and-Eel and one of the most cursed Springs there were. In essence Pantyhose Taro turns into a flying Minotaur with huge physical strength when splashed with cold water. That's the monster. As for the other boy that was Ryoga and we're friends now. Other than that, yes, life in Nerima has been as crazy as reported. Probably even more so."

**  
**Katsuhito nodded. He could certainly believe it. Maybe it was time to pay Nerima a visit to convince himself of it. But first things first. He would take over the training of Ranma and maybe even Kasumi. With their approval of course and after he had told Ranma of his promise to Nodoka. But this offer would be made once those two had settled down.

**  
**Now that the conversation was over Katsuhito served some tea and the four enjoyed the cookies Sasami had made. Due to Ranma's colossal appetite they soon were cookie crumbs, very small cookie crumbs at that. It was a good thing that Sasami returned a while later with another and much bigger tray of cookies.

**  
**"Thank you, Sasami." Katsuhito said. "They were delicious as always."

**  
**Ranma nodded empathically. "Delicious does not even begin to describe it." he exclaimed. "They were world-class! I'd say they can nearly compare with your cooking, Ka-chan." he teased Kasumi who had meanwhile thanked Sasami too.

**  
**Kasumi smirked. She had the perfect counter. "Hmm, let's see in three months if _you_ can compare to my cooking, love." she said cryptically.

**  
**The cursed martial artist gulped. She didn't mean... did she? Bridal training? One look at Kasumi and he gulped again. Yup, she _did_ mean business.

**  
**With a sigh Ranma attacked the cookies. Now only food could help while the others laughed at Ranma's expression.

**  
**Sasami smiled at the new guests. She really liked them, and they were such a cute couple. "Thank you! It makes me happy that you like my cookies!" she said with a smile.

**  
**Katsuhito coughed to get Sasami's attention, and the little girl looked at the seated Shinto Priest. "Sasami, please tell Ayeka and Ryoko that we'll be having guests for a few months. I expect those two to be on their best behaviour."

**  
**Sasami nodded. "Will do!" she exclaimed.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Sasami had excused herself shortly afterwards and had said she had to make preparations for the evening meal. At the mention of food, as usual, a certain pigtailed martial artist picked up. "Food? Cool! When?" he asked eagerly.

**  
**Needless to say everyone laughed. "At six o'clock, Ranma. And I have told Sasami to make plenty for you."

**  
**At this comment of Katsuhito Ranma raised a brow, while thinking **'Drat, two more hours!' **"Huh? Why do ya mean?"

**  
**The old Shinto Priest smiled. "Ranma, I know how large your power-reserves are and I can feel them deepening further even now. Therefore it is only logical that you need a lot of food."

**  
**Ranma was intrigued. "You mean you can read auras and ki-levels too?" he asked.

**  
**Katsuhito nodded. "Yes, Ranma. That is one of my abilities. But now I'd suggest that we go over to the house and introduce you to the rest."

**  
**The cursed martial artist was surprised. "Rest? Are there more than you two, Tenchi's father and Sasami and this Washu? Oh, this Ayeka and Ryoko you mentioned?"

**  
**It was Tenchi who answered. "Yes, Ranma. There are more. Among them Ryoko and Ayeka. And those two are my fiancées. You see, I can very well relate to what you went through in Nerima. I am in a comparable situation. But you'll soon see for yourself."

**  
**Ranma nodded. Now he was really curious to get to know the ladies who were fighting over the heart and other parts of Tenchi. He only hoped that they were not like _his_ past suitors and only fought over him like over a possession or a prize to be won. But he'd soon see.

**  
**Together the four left the Shrine and stepped outside, and just at this moment another downpour occurred which changed Ranma and Kasumi into their alternate forms. The downpour did not last more than 30 seconds but was strong enough to soak them through. As was customary Kasumi-otoko gave Ranma a tongue-curling kiss which left the redhead somewhat dazed.

**  
**"I see what you meant when you said that cold water tends to find you. The weather forecast didn't say anything about rain and ever since you two arrived it has rained two times already." Katsuhito said, shaking his head.

**  
**Ranma nodded while Tenchi made a supreme effort to look away from his friends' chest. Man, those things were even bigger than Ryoko's! "That is the part of the curse that annoys me the most. Not my other body, for I've begun to accept it, but the constant splashing. If I'd got 1,000 Yen for each time I've been splashed since I got the curse I'd be a billionaire by now."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. "At first I did not want to believe the water magnet part of the curse but after being cursed for more than two weeks I can confirm that it is the truth. That was also why we decided to stay in our alternate forms for three months. The splashing _is_ annoying and it would be impossible to get fully used to our other bodies if we changed forms constantly. It would be nice if your scientist could do something about it."

**  
**Katsuhito stroked his chin. "As far as I have understood you'll soon lock your curses using this special soap, right?" Ranma and Kasumi-otoko nodded. "Am I further right to assume that the splashing will cease then as the curse has no reason to splash you any more?"

**  
**Ranma looked unsure. "Even Cologne was not sure regarding this point. But we _think_ so."

**  
**The Shinto Priest nodded once more. "Then those will probably be some stress-free three months for you. I can only guess how irritating it must be to change genders at the drop of some water and being freed of this even for a short amount of time might be just what you need to get used to your alternate forms. See it as a sort of vacation."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko and Ranma nodded in understanding. "Yes, that sounds about right." they said in unison and both had to smile that they had said the same thing.

**  
**"Okay, let's introduce you to the gang." Tenchi said and the rest nodded.

**  
**Katsuhito, Tenchi, Ranma and Kasumi had just begun walking over to the house when suddenly a device at Tenchi's right wrist began to vibrate. Tsunami. "Excuse us," Tenchi said, "we gotta do something first and will follow soon after. You can't miss the house and I'm sure Sasami has already told the others that you're coming."

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko nodded as Tenchi and Katsuhito disappeared though both wondered what this strange device at Tenchi's wrist was good for. Looking at each other and shrugging they took each others hand and began the descent towards the lake.

**  
-.-**

**  
**It took several minutes to descend all 1000 steps as Ranma rather enjoyed holding hands with Kasumi-otoko than running down the path as fast as she could have. When they had arrived at the path again both looked around and enjoyed the peace and serenity of the place once more. There was no comparison to the always loud and busy town Nerima and none of them could remember ever having felt so much peace and quiet before.

**  
**The two cursed individuals made their way down the path that led to the house, holding hands, when the serenity that seemed to permeate the air was suddenly disrupted by a large explosion and adjacent yelling. "RYOKO YOU DAMN MONSTER WOMAN! COME BACK HERE SO I CAN SMITE YOU!" yelled an obviously very enraged woman who looked slightly charred.

**  
**She had purple hair that was even purpler than that of Shampoo, and her kimono was hanging in tatters. She was apparently chasing a mischievous looking cyan-haired woman. What really surprised both cursed individuals was that she was floating effortlessly through the air. And she was smirking. "COME AND MAKE ME YOUR ROYAL DUMBNESS!" she yelled back with a huge grin on her face.

**  
**Ranma swallowed her surprise and surveyed the strange woman. Aside from a very impressive power-level she had _very_ spiky cyan hair. She was wearing stone-washed jeans and a tank top and as far as Ranma could see her bust line was nearly as impressive as hers. But only nearly she thought with some pride.

**  
**The strange flying girl nearly collided with Ranma until the spiky-haired female had the foresight to look ahead. Then she stopped dead in her tracks and looked Ranma dead in the eyes. A frown appeared on her face as she surveyed the newcomers, or to be more accurate, her. She remained standing in the air and crossed her arms. "Who are you and what are you doing here? Are you here for my Tenchi?" she asked threateningly, ignoring Kasumi-otoko completely.

**  
**Ranma's jaw nearly impacted on the ground. "W... what?"

**  
**The woman growled. "Are ya too dumb, ya air-headed bimbo? I asked ya if yer here for _my_ Tenchi!"

**  
**"_Your_ Tenchi?" asked a voice from behind. The slightly charred looking purple-haired woman had finally caught up. "Now that's a laugh. Tenchi is _mine_!"

**  
**Ranma's eyes had meanwhile grown to the size of dinner plates and a large sweatdrop had formed at the back of her head. Then it made click and Ranma knew why it all sounded so familiar. She smiled in spite of the situation, a situation easily comparable to the many incidents she had lived through in Nerima. "No, I am not here to steal 'your' Tenchi, Miss. I am Ranma Saotome and this is Kasumi Tendo, my 'boyfriend'." she said and the other girls did not notice the pronunciation Ranma gave the word boyfriend.

**  
**The purple-haired woman looked at the cyan-haired woman. "See, you paranoid monster woman? Not every girl that comes here wants my Tenchi. Now show some manners." she chided the other woman before she turned to smile at Ranma and Kasumi-otoko. "Hello, I am Ayeka; and this monster woman here goes by the name of Ryoko."

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko bowed politely. "Nice to meet you." they said in stereo.

**  
**The cyan-haired woman named Ryoko however was not satisfied and eyed the two newcomers suspiciously. "One sec..." she said and a nasty grin appeared on her face, "Sasami told us that we _would_ have guests. But she told us that Ranma Saotome was a man and Kasumi Tendo a woman. Nice ploy! Hadn't ya made the mistake ta introduce your boyfriend as Kasumi Tendo ya might have succeeded with whatever ya had planned. Now, who are ya _really_?" she asked, energy sparking between her fingers.

**  
**The cursed Tendo sighed. Of course, Sasami had not seen a demonstration of the curse. He nodded to himself and answered before Ranma's temper could rise. He had noticed the tell-tale signs. This Ryoko was rubbing her the wrong way. The _completely_ wrong way. "If we could go into the house we could prove that we are who we said we are. It's a bit complicated but I assure you that we mean no harm. Tenchi and his grandfather Katsuhito know that we are here; in fact they sent us down here and will follow shortly. A device at Tenchi's arm went off and they said they had something to do first. That's why we're here without them."

**  
**Suddenly a sound came from behind Ayeka and Ryoko. For Ranma it was the most dreaded sound in the whole world. "Miya miya! Miya!"

**  
**"C... c... CAT!" Ranma exclaimed and hid behind Kasumi-otoko in a flash, hugging him from behind and clinging to him like to a life buoy.

**  
**The woman-turned-man sighed and watched as a very cute creature emerged from behind the two women. It looked somewhat like Stitch from the Gaijin movie 'Lilo and Stitch', except for the coloration of the fur. Apparently it seemed to be some strange cross between a rabbit and a cat. A very cute cross at that. But much to Ranmas chagrin it shared one of the characteristic of a cat for it meowed just like one.

**  
**Ayeka and Ryoko looked at each other and were for once united in an emotion. Confusion. Then that what the cabbit had said registered within Ryoko's mind and she looked at the cabbit. "What do ya mean he's saying the truth?"

**  
**"Miya. Miya miya!" the little cabbit exclaimed and sent Ranma into another bout of fright. Kasumi-otoko let himself be hugged from behind and stroked her arms softly to calm her down.

**  
**The first crown princess of the planet Jurai looked at her rival. She had already decided that their visitors had told the truth. How else should they have known about the communication device? "When Ryo-Ohki says that he said the truth then it is so. You never doubted her before. Why now?"

**  
**Ryoko's eyes gleamed. "Because _she_," she pointed at Ranma who was still hiding behind Kasumi-otoko, "is here to seduce _my_ Lord Tenchi! I _know_ it!"

**  
**Ayeka could only shake her head at Ryoko's antics. "Come you two, just ignore her. I usually do too unless she acts too undignified." **'Which is sadly all the time.'** she added as an afterthought.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko and Ranma looked at each and nodded then while Ryoko silently steamed. Shrugging the cursed individuals made their way towards the house while Ryoko followed them floating. "I'll watch you, so one wrong move and you're toast!" she threatened.

**  
**That rose Ranmas temper more effectively than even her father's harpings. Fire seemed to blaze in her eyes. "Nobody threatens my Kasumi!"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko sensed the danger of an imminent explosion and laid a calming hand on Ranmas shoulders. "Hey love, it is okay. That won't be necessary. For once we are in the house we can prove that we are who we said we are. There's really no need for violence, love." he said and pulled her into a comforting hug.

**  
**Slowly the anger seemed to evaporate and Ranma leant into the hug, enjoying the comforting and calming sensations of being held by her taller boyfriend.

**  
**Ayeka looked at Ryoko. "Do you _still_ think that she is here to steal Tenchi? Looks to me like she's already taken."

**  
**Ryoko growled. "_Every_ girl that comes here wants to steal my Tenchi, including _you_!" she said to Ayeka.

**  
**Now that Ranma had simmered down the four people and one cabbit proceeded to the house without further incident aside from the glares that were traded back and forth between Ranma and Ryoko.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Upon entering the house Ranmas mood improved once more in a flash. "Mmmh, I smell something heavenly." she commented.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko had noticed the aroma in the air likewise and nodded. Obviously Sasami was preparing another round of cookies prior to the lunch just like she had said she would. And it smelled heavenly indeed. "That's my love, always thinking with her stomach." he teased.

**  
**"I thought I had heard new voices." came Sasami's voice from the kitchen as she emerged from this direction. "Hello, I am Sasami." she said smiling.

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko shared a grin. "We have already met, Sasami. A few minutes ago in the shrine with Katsuhito and Tenchi. We are Ranma and Kasumi. Sorry 'bout this."

**  
**The little girl boggled. "But that can't be! Ranma is a boy and Kasumi is a girl!" she exclaimed with certainty.

**  
**The cursed individuals shared a chagrined smile. Meanwhile the other residents of the house had arrived too at hearing new voices in the house.

**  
**Even Washu had emerged from her lab as her sensors had told her of the new arrivals. "And who are you?" she asked. Washu was in her 'little Washu' form like nearly always and looked considerably cute.

**  
**"Yeah, I'd like to know too! Hi, I'm Mihoshi!" she said with a beaming smile. Ryoko shook her head. The airhead was always so trusting. And that as an officer of the Galaxy Police. _Some_ people...

**  
**Kasumi-otoko looked at Sasami. "If you had two a bit larger cups of water for us, one warm, nearly hot, and one cold we could show you."

**  
**Sasami nodded. That was a simple request. And while the little girl went to the kitchen to fetch the required items Tenchi and Katsuhito came just in.

**  
**"Tenchi!" Ryoko exclaimed, "These two claim that they're Ranma Saotome and Kasumi Tendo although both have the wrong gender! I bet the redheaded harridan is here to steal you away from me!"

**  
**Ranma had started to simmer again and Kasumi-otoko put a restraining hand on her shoulder and pulled her close. Not that he would have stood a chance in hell to stop her should she decide to attack the offending woman. Even Kasumi-otoko thought that Ryoko was overdoing it with her paranoia.

**  
**Tenchi and Katsuhito just looked at each other and nodded. They would let Ryoko ride it out and sit back. From time to time she needed to be taken down a peg or two and it seemed as if Ranma was more than capable of doing just that. "Is that so?" Katsuhito asked and crossed his arms over his chest.

**  
**Just at this moment Sasami returned from the kitchen, bringing the two cups of water into the living room. Ayeka was curious now, as were Sasami, Washu and Mihoshi. Even Ryoko seemed to forget her ire for the moment. Sasami placed the cups on the table. "And now?" she asked.

**  
**Ranma smiled. She would take over this part. After all, she was _used_ to these demonstrations. "Watch. And watch closely. Ka-kun, if you would?" she asked.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. And upended the cup of warm water over Ranma's head. All present watched fascinated as Ranma transformed into Ranma-otoko, even Tenchi and Katsuhito who had seen the transformational process once before.

**  
**"What the blazes!" that was Washu.

**  
**"Huh?" Mihoshi.

**  
**"W... what, where did the redhead go? Don't tell me that you..." Ayeka stuttered as her brain struggled to deal with this strange visual evidence that seemed to defy reality.

**  
**"Whoa! You really _are_ Ranma! Cool!" Sasami gasped in amazement and instant acceptance.

**  
**"Miya miya?" Ryo-Ohki meowed inquisitively. Why was the beautiful girl suddenly a handsome boy? She did not understand. Had one of her carrots been bad?

**  
**Ranma's reaction to the meowing was predictable. "Ahhhhh! It did it again! The rabbit meowed!" he exclaimed and hid behind Kasumi-otoko. "Rabbits ain't gotta meow!" he accused.

**  
**Ryo-Ohki was looking around confused. Why was she... err, he not liking her? Had she done anything wrong?

**  
**Katsuhito who had seen Ranma's reactions to the cute cabbit seethed inwardly while giving no outward sign of his anger. What Genma Saotome had done was inexcusable and he would be punished once he had the chance to talk to Nodoka.

**  
**His grandson on his part had no idea of his thoughts and was smiling at his childhood-friend. "Ranma, she's no rabbit but a Cabbit. Ranma Saotome, meet Ryo-Ohki." he said to Ranma who was peering cautiously at the cabbit from behind Kasumi.

**  
**"It's not a c... c... one of 'em things?" Ranma asked him as Ryo-Ohki peered at him shyly.

**  
**"No. She's not. She's a really cute but sometimes naughty cabbit!" Sasami said and stroked Ryo-Ohki behind the ears. The purring that ensued did however nothing to calm Ranma's nerves. It still sounded too much like a cat for his taste.

**  
**"Excuse me but if my eyes and scanners aren't playing me, and I'm sure they're not as I'm the great Washu, then you were a _girl_ some moments ago. And now you are obviously a boy. Which requires a complete gender change which according to my scanners is exactly what happened. Right down to the genetic level. How is this possible?" asked a very interested Washu.

**  
**At the gleam that had appeared in her eyes Ranma shrunk back. All his instincts told him to run, and they were _never_ wrong. But using all of his control he fought down the impulse and answered. At least he tried to do so. "Umm... heh heh... you see..." he began with a sheepish grin.

**  
**Ryoko, always the sensitive one (not!), laughed. For some reason she did not like this redhead-turned-raven-haired boy and she'd let him/her know. "Hah hah, I can tell ya why. He's some kinda gender-bended weirdo! A freak!" she teased from her position besides Tenchi.

**  
**Ranma's temper flared once more. To call him a freak! The outrage! Forgotten was any attempt to explain the curse. "I ain't a gender-bended weirdo and I ain't a freak, ya idiot! I ain't nothin' of that!"

**  
**Katsuhito sighed. The ex-space pirate was pushing the totally wrong buttons with astounding efficiency. If she continued this she'd probably get the walloping of her life if Ranma was as good as he suspected. And this time Ryoko would deserve it too.

**  
**And continue Ryoko did. With a smirk to boot. "What is it then, femboy? _Magic_?" she asked teasing.

**  
**"As a matter of fact..." Kasumi who had changed back to female form nearly unnoticed began, but was interrupted by her angry boyfriend.

**  
**For now Ranma had _really_ started to boil over. If one insult still got him boiling despite all the progress s/he had made then that one Pantyhose Taro had always used. "What is your freakin' problem with me? I didn't do nothin' ta ya and ya insult me!"

**  
**Katsuhito decided to intervene before this got too much out of hand. "He is right, Ryoko. You should apologise. As they will be staying with us for at least three months we can't afford to have bad blood here."

**  
**"WHAT?" Ryoko exclaimed, "Why should that freakin' femboy stay with us? We've got enough weirdoes here already!" she exclaimed and looked at Mihoshi who didn't get the hint.

**  
**Ryoko just shrugged inwardly; the blonde was just too ditzy. But it really would not do to have more competition for her Tenchi. The redhead-turned-raven-haired-boy could pretend all s/he wanted; regarding her Tenchi it was guilty until proven otherwise. It could all just be a show the two newcomers put up! Who told her that the redheaded form was not her true form? And besides she really did not like the feeling of suppressed power she was getting from this Ranma… it strongly reminded her of someone… someone she knew she hated.

**  
**"Ryoko!" Tenchi exclaimed, getting angry at seeing his childhood friend insulted, "Stop insulting my friend!"

**  
**"Phew. I ain't done nothing. It's the fault of that gender-bended freak." Ryoko stated with crossed arms.

**  
**Now Ranma was seeing _really_ red. And he could do nothing to prevent his power-level from rising. "Now I've had it! I don't know what yer damned freakin' problem is but enough is enough! I ain't takin' no shit from ya, ya weirdo!" Ranma growled deeply as he switched into a fighting stance.

**  
**"What did ya call me, ya freakin' femboy?" Ryoko asked angrily, energy sparking between her fingers. Inwardly she grinned. Maybe this poor copy of a starlight would give her the excuse for a real fight. Lately her fists were really itching now that she was getting along better with Ayeka. That bout from some minutes ago had just been her customary attempt at mischief but now she had a real fight within her grasp. Now to push the femboy a bit further… "Wanna really get yer food outta the feeder fer the next months, huh? I'm happy ta help ya with that, femboy." she said with a smirk and cracked her knuckles.

**  
**Ranma's teeth grinded audibly and his battle-aura started to become visible as the air became charged with power. "Ya asked for it, monster woman! I'm gonna pound ya flat!" he growled.

**  
**Kasumi sighed. Ranma was _really_ angry and she could not even scold him for it. This girl was really pushing all the wrong buttons and even his training was not enough to defuse the situation. It seemed as if a fight was inevitable.

**  
**Ryoko smirked and pointed at her cheek. "Then give me yer best shot ya femboy! _Prove_ ta me that ya hit like the weak sissy ya are!" she taunted, confident that this puny human had nothing on her. Heck, even the _strongest_ human could not even _scratch _her! Or so she thought.

**  
'Miya miya miya miya miya!'** Ryo-Ohki suddenly exclaimed over their telepathic link. She had scanned the simmering Ranma and what she had found out was deeply disturbing. He had a much higher power-level than should be possible for a human and if she had interpreted her scan correctly…

**  
**The ex-space pirates head whipped over to Ryo-Ohki once _she_, Ryoko, had interpreted the data. **'What do ya mean he could be as strong as Yosho? And what's that nonsense about two power-sources? Rubbish! Ate too many carrots again, eh? Maybe I should put ya on a diet.'** Ryoko thought back.

**  
'Miya! Miya miya!'** the cabbit insisted. Why wouldn't her mistress believe her? If she fought this girl... err, boy, she would get into trouble. And Ryo-Ohki did not want this.

**  
**Ryoko shook her head at her cabbit. "You must have eaten a _really_ bad carrot. No _human_ is that strong!" she said out loud.

**  
**Ranma smirked. He had not caught what had been going on but he knew what that comment meant. "Wanna find out, monster woman?" he asked, once more adapting the insult Ayeka had used.

**  
**Said Juraian Princess rubbed her hands in anticipation. If what she suspected was correct then Ryoko had just made her own life more difficult. She had caught the signs between Ryoko and her Ryo-Ohki. The cabbit was worried and had apparently warned Ryoko about something she had found out about Ranma. Yet Ryoko obviously refused to believe her cabbit.

**  
**But Ayeka had no reason to doubt Ryo-Ohki. The little cabbit had seldom been wrong and from what she understood she had apparently tried to warn and protect Ryoko. Too bad that she could not listen in into their telepathic conversations. But anyway she'd soon find out what that had been about.

**  
**"Ya got yerself a fight, femboy! And doncha expect me to hold back for ya!" Ryoko spat.

**  
**"Doncha expect me to either, monster woman!" Ranma shot back.

**  
**Katsuhito didn't like the direction this was taking and was fearing for the structural integrity of the house should they decide to play up here in the house. A fight was apparently inevitable but damage control had to be engaged. "Remember the rules, Ryoko, no fighting in the house!" he insisted. "Last time it happened was bad enough!"

**  
**Ryoko looked somewhat sheepish and Ranma nodded. _He_ had no problem with this for this was more of an advantage for him. With more space he could unfold his attacks much more efficiently. Heh, a Hiryu Shoten Ha in the basement would probably not be well received now, would it?

**  
**And considering the _new_ attacks he had invented it would be much better if they took it to the outside. This Ryoko looked to be quite tough and she'd be an excellent guinea pig for his newest attacks. Inwardly he swore that he'd give that monster woman the dressing down of her life. What the heck was her problem? As if he'd ever try to seduce his best childhood-friend. Hah! If his girl-side was interested in any guy than in Kasumi!

**  
**Silently he thanked said Tendo sibling for his modified understanding regarding hitting girls. He still would not land the first blow or retaliate needlessly but he _would_ defend himself and end the fight. And this Ryoko witch would be the first to get involved with this new and improved Ranma Saotome. "Of course, Master Katsuhito." he said and bowed. "Lets take this outside, monster woman."

**  
**Ryoko smirked evilly. "I'm gonna crush ya like the cockroach ya are."

**  
**Ranma grinned in answer. "Then bring out yer finest hammer for I stand on firm ground!" he answered with blazing eyes.

**  
**"Oh my!" she exclaimed, "I have seldom seen him so angry. I hope he does not hurt her too badly!"

**  
**Sasami, always the peaceful one, interjected "Grandpa, we should not let them fight! Ranma could get hurt!"

**  
**Katsuhito was about to answer that she should worry about Ryoko, but Ayeka laid a hand on her little sisters' shoulders. "Sis, I think you should better worry for _Ryoko_ this time. For _I_ will surely not." she exclaimed happily.

**  
**Katsuhito and Tenchi were both looking forward to this fight. Maybe they would get a display of the real power Ranma Saotome possessed.

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

**  
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	19. Clash of the Titans

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 19: Clash of the Titans**

**  
**A beautiful spring day was slowly coming to an end and a peaceful air hung over the area of the Masaki house. The air was quiet, nearly unnaturally so. It was as if the animals in the area somehow knew that something was about to happen. Something big.

**  
**Soon it would. For the contestants were ready. Ranma and Ryoko were now standing in the area near the lake. As Ryoko planned to use some of her more serious attacks she needed the space. As did, unbeknownst to the ex-space-pirate, Ranma.

**  
**The members of the Masaki household plus Kasumi had gathered in a safe distance but were still near enough to get a good look. Only Katsuhito knew what kind of fight this was going to be; for he was the only one who knew what the Phoenix King Saffron was capable of. If Ranma really had absorbed his powers this was going to be one hell of a fight. Then there was also the matter of the well of ki-energy in him; and if he was right those two power-sources were at present growing and intermixing, making Ranma more powerful by the day.

**  
**On their way out Katsuhito had warned Washu of this; thus Washu had put a strong shield around the house in place, to be on the completely safe side; it was one of her newer inventions and was able to protect the house to a certain degree. The diminutive scientist had activated it already and now she was looking forward to the fight. Something told her that it would be a big one.

**  
**The combatants were standing face to face and surveyed each other. Ryoko on her part was surveying Ranma with a taunting smirk that showed how full of herself she was. She did not even show a hint of a fighting stance but Ranma knew from what he had seen and observed that Ryoko had to be a very powerful fighter. The huge well of power he sensed in her was a major point in that regard. He'd sure as hell not make the mistake to take her lightly.

**  
**It was, however, odd that he only felt that huge amount of power coming from the strange woman but saw no other outside proof of her being a fighter at all. For instance, she was handling her body unlike any martial artist Ranma had seen before. But maybe she was just _acting_ so casually as to lead him into a trap; maybe she wanted to lure him into a false sense of safety. Or maybe she was just no martial artist but something else. Her power-level however made clear that she'd be no push-over and that in a very distinct way.He'd be careful; and as always Ranma had no intention to make the first move and was in a defensive stance.

**  
**He was following his usual battle strategy; taking her best shot like he had said; and from there he would analyze her strengths and weaknesses and form a battle strategy based upon the data he'd gain from her first attack. He would soon find out if Ryoko was a martial artist or not but right now he was enjoying the thrill of an impending fight too much to give it much thought.

**  
**Right before his eyes Ryoko continued to smirk. "Soon ya gonna rest in pieces, ya freak. _Tiny_ lil pieces."

**  
**"Give it your best shot, monster woman!" Ranma countered, returning the smirk in kind.

**  
**The use of her nickname usually 'reserved' to Ayeka began to tick Ryoko off. "Stop calling me that ya femboy! On second thought I'm gonna shut yer up meself seeing as yer're too weak ta stop me." she countered with a smirk.

**  
**Ranma on his part smirked evilly and stopped hiding the extent of his powers. His smirk seemed to say 'Who's weak here?'.That alone seemed to make Ryoko angry as she narrowed her eyes in obvious anger. There was something about him and his true power-level that she didn't like; it was as if he was constantly waving itching powder under her nose.

**  
**Due to that she was angry alright; she had felt something in him before but what she felt now was something else entirely; she was not yet as sensible to feeling out power-levels as for example Katsuhito aka Yosho was but ever since her merging with Zero she had become loads better at it.

**  
**The fact that Ranma had been hiding the true extent of his powers alone made her very angry for it reminded her of what had happened with Kagato. Yes! Now she _knew_ what she didn't like about that freak. He reminded her of Kagato! This gender-changing freak here seemed to be something along these lines for even she could feel the two wells of growing power within him. She threw all caution into the wind as she got really ticked off at that freak who had dared to remind her of that thankfully dead asshole Kagato.

**  
**Her anger served to raise her power-level and with a growl Ryoko attacked; as anticipated by Ranma she used the opening he had voluntarily left. Her hard uppercut was very powerful and sent him flying; but due to the Bakusai Tenketsu training he had not felt more than a sting. A hard sting but a sting nevertheless.

**  
**From that blow Ranma had to admit that Ryoko was indeed very powerful. In fact that excited the pigtailed martial artist further; still in flight he grinned to himself. It had been quite some time since he had had a real challenge after the Saffron incident and this fight might prove to be the challenge he had been waiting for.

**  
**-.-.

**  
**Ryoko on her part bashed down the impulse to grab her left hand as she had the feeling as if she had hit a solid steel wall. What was the guy made of? Duranium? Not even Yosho had been _this_ hard. Grunting Ryoko followed the course her left hook had sent him; and the trajectory sent Ranma, how else, right towards the lake. Soon Ranma landed with a huge splash in aforementioned lake and a little while later a wet Ranma emerged from below the surface. She got to the shore, shaking water out of her hair and ears.

**  
**Tapping into her new powers she flared her fiery aura and used it to dry herself. Fire suddenly glowed in her eyes and she surveyed Ryoko. "Was that your best shot, monster woman? If so I must say that I am disappointed." she remarked neutrally, even trying to keep the sting out of the insult 'monster woman'.

**  
**True to the promise she had given herself and Kasumi she refrained from now on from making any more insulting comments in her fights than absolutely necessary unless it was clear that no reconciliation was possible with the opponent; but as if ticking off Ryoko any further was necessary. For some reason Ryoko seemed to be really ticked off at her and she on her part did not want to violate what she had also promised to herself and more important to her love. Besides she thought that reconciliation with Ryoko was still possible after they had vented in the fight.

**  
**Also, she just had to think of the stupid panda and every urge to taunt and belittle Ryoko left her. No she never wanted to be like that fat fool of a father again! She had been that way for long enough and she'd do her utmost to be as different from Genma Saotome as possible, in a good way.

**  
**What had taunting and belittling her opponents really achieved? Indeed she might have won her fights easier through it but hadn't it left bitter enemies instead of just rivals and/or opponents behind? Ryoga was the perfect example for this. In their fights or even outside of them she had often taunted or insulted the other martial artist. Yet she had called him a friend and had written off his fits of hate for her.

**  
**Now, thanks to Kasumi she knew that this was not how one treated a friend or even an opponent. That was yet another one of pops failings; one that she'd never questioned before but that had done her more harm than good as she'd come to realise. She'd sworn to herself and Kasumi that she'd not repeat her past mistakes; and aside from the odd taunt or insult she'd succeeded up till now. She'd treat her opponents fairly at least such with honour; and Ryoko seemed to be such a fighter.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Said Ryoko on her part was seething due to the comment Ranma had made; a comment that hadn't even been meant insulting but had been received thusly. **'How dare that damn floozy say something like that! Hah! As if _that_ was my best shot! That was like a lovers embrace compared to what is to come now!'** Ryoko thought furiously.

**  
**Indeed she had gotten a tad bit cautious upon noticing that this Ranma was apparently a lot tougher than she had anticipated; and she had to admit that she had actually gotten a tad bit unsure when she had seen the flame trick. But now after that perceived insult she abandoned all caution and attacked head on.

**  
**Her blows were however blocked with an ease that was unnerving. For Ranma this was more like a warm-up and thus she did some probing and testing. Ryoko seemed to have more than enough strength to even rival or exceed her own that was for sure.

**  
**Now Ranma wanted to test out the other abilities of Ryoko and after she had blocked everything thrown at her once more with ease she went into the offence and leapt forward at Ryoko. Nearly faster than the other could see she sent a hailstorm of punches at Ryoko which were driving the cyan-haired woman back.

**  
**Ranma was impressed that Ryoko had been able to keep up with her and she mused that she would have to use her Amaguriken speed to score some real blows. But first she wanted to test out how tough her opponent really was and just how good her defences were. She could see the surprise in the eyes of the other at the strength of her blows and inwardly she felt proud of herself.

**  
**She had gotten a whole lot stronger lately sensing that it was very much connected with her new powers. Once she had the time for it she would sit down and analyze this new well of power she felt growing within herself. It was however tightly under her control as it had begun to intermix with her well of ki; and over her ki she had had a tight reign for a long time now. But that she had gotten as strong and tough had also a lot to do with the training she had pushed herself through after Jusendo.

**  
**Aside from the behavioural lessons she had received from her love she had also kept up her training. Indeed she had done more than just to keep it up; rather she had pushed herself to her limits and beyond. One thought had been prevalent in her mind; her opponents had become stronger and stronger and she had barely been able to beat Prince(ss) Herb and later on Saffron. Thus she had decided to become stronger herself, as strong as possible. In order to achieve this she had used the times when she had been clobbered once more to train; and it had paid off.

**  
**Indeed she had been accused by Akane that she had cheated on her with 'the other floozies' because she had been away for long amounts of time after she had gotten malleted or clobbered but the additional 'punishment' she had received she had taken in stride. After some time she had just not bothered to explain herself any more and she mused that that had been the point in time where she had stopped loving Akane.

**  
**The exercises she had partaken in with Elder Cologne had also increased her control over her powers further; however she was still cautious to tap too deeply into her new powers as she had no idea what would happen then.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Suddenly she was shaken out of her musings by Ryoko's latest attack.Automatically her reflexes kicked in and she blocked a vicious kick to her head which she countered with one of her own. Unsurprisingly she was blocked by Ryoko and that made her smirk. Ranma sensed that she had finally found someone that could keep up with her and that she had found a real challenge made her giddy.

**  
**She had had no real challenge ever since the Saffron incident and if she could get Ryoko past her dislike for her the other might _really_ prove to be a more than decent sparring partner. Ranma was glad that her earlier assessment of Ryoko had been right; the other girl had tons of potential! **'Yes,'** she thought to herself, **'it seems as if I'll have to rely on my super-speed as well as my new attacks to win over her. Cool!' **

**  
**With a growl Ryoko attacked with renewed vigour and came in even faster than before. However Ranma blocked or countered everything thrown at her. In the following minutes the combatants continued to exchange blows at a super fast pace and Ranma could hardly believe how much she had improved in the last few months. She blocked the last roundhouse-kick Ryoko had aimed for her left side and executed a backwards somersault that brought several yards between them.

**  
**Ranma smiled satisfied. Her power-level had grown massively and she could actually keep up with what Ryoko was throwing at her. Had she fought Ryoko before her fight with Saffron she would have been creamed by the other girl that was for sure. But now she could hold her own and actually more than that. She was enjoying this fight immensely but decided to take it up a notch. Against Ryoko she felt she could go all out.

**  
**Suddenly she actually disappeared from vision as she tapped into her Amaguriken speed. Due to Cologne's training she had learned how to use it to improve her over-all speed and the results were hot! To the others and even Ryoko it looked as if she just winked out of existence.

**  
**-.-

**  
**To say that Ryoko was surprised at that feat would have been an understatement. She herself had gotten a lot faster among other things after her fusion with Zero but not even she had seen Ranma move. Frantically she looked back and forth but she found not trace of her opponent. Her only warning was a sudden cringing of the air as Ranma suddenly reappeared in front of Ryoko; instantly the redhead uppercutted her opponent and then she cracked her with a roundhouse kick after she had used her speed and strength to jump up into the air into the flightpath of Ryoko. The force of the kick was enough to send the cyan-haired flying but it did not hurt her.

**  
**The watchers but especially Tenchi, Ayeka and Sasami were bug-eyed and watched as Ranma landed gracefully on the ground. Katsuhito on his part nodded proudly once more. Ranma had already exceeded his expectations; even he had been hard pressed to follow her movements and that meant something.

**  
**Washu on her part was practically having kittens. She had brought her equipment with her to the fight and she was congratulating herself to this foresight. The data she was gaining from the redhead was fascinating! In truth she could hardly await to have her, him whatever in her lab for a thorough analysis. Boy, was that a fascinating new specimen or what?

**  
**Back at the fight Ryoko had brought her uncontrolled flight under control and demonstrated her own abilities. She stopped her uncontrolled flight and changed curse in a sharp turn. Ranma had known that the other girl could float but to see her in outright flight was something else. Damn, she had to learn this cool flying technique even if it killed her! Now that would really take the Anything Goes Style to a whole new level!

**  
**From watching Herb she had back then nearly learned how to fly but there and then it had taken much more ki than she'd had at that time. However that had changed now and if she could watch Ryoko long enough she might be able to copy the technique.

**  
**What happened next was however a surprise for Ranma. The flying and obviously enraged Ryoko suddenly fired ki-blasts at her! Or were it really ki-blasts? Somehow they felt… off. So as if the ki Ryoko used was not of this world! But that could not be, could it?

**  
**Shrugging off her surprise Ranma leapt back and forth, left and right and up and down to avoid the ki-blasts or whatever they were. With her Amaguriken-speed this was an easy feat. While she did so she countered with ki-blasts of her own; those were however weak versions of the 'panda-burner' and only served to distract Ryoko from her real plan.

**  
**While Ryoko who had landed to fend off the ki-attacks better was busy fending off said weak ki-attacks with a smirk thinking that was all Ranma had in regards of ki-attacks Ranma disappeared suddenly once more. Mere moments later she phased back in and shot a hard blow straight to Ryoko's face that caused the other to stagger back. Ranma followed this action with a spin kick to the stomach that caused the other girl to gasp for air.

**  
**However Ryoko recovered fast and before Ranma could counter the cyan-haired girl had punched her hard in the face; the force of the blow sent her flying backwards into the direction of the lake. Boy was Ranma glad that she had undergone the Breaking Point training! Had she not her head might have been half-ripped off from the strength Ryoko had put behind the blow. Her opponent had obviously realised too that she could stomach a lot. Good.

**  
**As she flew back she executed what she had seen Ryoko do and actually in combination with her knowledge of Herb's flight manoeuvres in combination with her new powers she began to get her flight under control; from watching Ryoko she had some pointers and thus she projected her ki and used it to steady herself. She could neither float nor fly as of yet but she felt confident that she'd be able to learn it soon. Touching down on the ground she touched her right cheek where Ryoko had hit her.

**  
**The other girl was good! And damn powerful! Heh, this was a fight how Ranma loved them; now after she had tested Ryoko sufficiently she _knew_ that she could go all out against her. Someone who could hit like that could without doubt stomach some of her more serious attacks. Going all out was something she had not even done against Ryoga in the past months. But Ryoko was something else. The spiky-haired woman was more than strong and tough enough however and now she'd begin to show the true extent of her abilities.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Feeling confident that Ryoko _would_ survive it she tapped into her new powers to power up; her new attacks needed a lot of ki after all. And just at the moment of her power-up Ryoko fired a barrage of ki-blasts at the powering up Ranma. Said redhead had just flared out her true aura when the energy-blasts hit home.

**  
**Ryoko was now hanging in mid-air already wanted to celebrate that she had downed the offending and irritating girl when the smoke she had caused with her attacks cleared. Ryoko's jaw nearly unhinged itself when she caught sight of Ranma. The Saotome girl did her status as a redhead credit for her aura was huge and a fiery red. The combination of her ki-powers and her new emerging powers had been more than enough to deflect the energy blasts Ryoko had fired at her.

**  
**And once more just like that time in the Tendo compound Ranmas battle-aura was melting the underground. Fact why she let it dissipate after she had defended herself. **'Hmm,'** Ranma thought,** 'she's got good enough ki-abilities at least. Or whatever that was. She's got loads of potential and _is_ my first real challenge in long! Time to take this up another notch.' **she thought excitedly.

**  
**Per her observations she mused that Ryoko was just as strong as she if not even stronger; and boy made the fight fun! If she could get Ryoko past her dislike for her she might even turn out a friend like Ryoga. But for now she had to concentrate on the fight and now she'd dig deep into her bag of tricks. Once more she used her Amaguriken speed and seemed to phase out of sight. Mere moments later she reappeared right under the still floating Ryoko who was busy searching for her.

**  
**"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" she exclaimed as she suddenly rammed her right index finger into the ground. Said ground abruptly erupted into flying debris and a lot of said debris flew up and blinded Ryoko who had just wanted to fire another barrage of energy blasts but had been startled by her disappearance.

**  
**The reactions of the watchers varied. Kasumi was watching with a calm expression that did not betray her inner agitation. In fact she was worried; this fight was turning into something else entirely than she had envisioned for both her love and Ryoko were now going all out as it seemed. But she was confident that her love would emerge at least nearly unharmed. She always did.

**  
**Ayeka on her part was simply baffled and had eyes the size of dinner plates. A sweatdrop was forming at the back of her head. "Did she... just make the ground explode?" she asked incredulous.

**  
**Tenchi could only nod with his mouth hanging open. He had never seen anything quite like it. Nor had the others except Kasumi for this matter. Katsuhito on his part smiled despite the property damage done. Ranma was really good!

**  
**Mihoshi on her part boggled too. "And that fiery thing around her melted the ground!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Meanwhile Washu's eyes were gleaming in face of all the data she was collecting. This was a really fascinating specimen and she could hardly wait to get her, him, whatever into her lab.

**  
**Ranma used the diversion she had created with the Breaking Point technique to leap up at the temporarily blinded Ryoko and executed her next attack. Due to what she had observed and learned from Ryoko regarding floating and flying she was able to stay longer in the air than ever before and that gave her the time and occasion to execute her next attack with perfection. "KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" she yelled and began to pummel Ryoko with the super-speed attack.

**  
**Understandably Ryoko felt like she had been hit full force by a speeding freight train as she was sent face-first down to the ground where she created an impact crater. Meanwhile Ranma had landed in a series of gracefully executed somersaults a good distance away from the crater. Even with the aid of her new powers her fists hurt. Damn, Ryoko was tough! And she was already recovering! Boy was that a fight!

**  
**Standing at the side-lines little Washu was impressed and looked up from the display of her recording device. "She just delivered 850 punches in less than one second. Impressive! Hadn't I made Ryoko out of sterner stuff this would have been the end of the fight." she stated matter-of-factly.

**  
**"Ranma delivered _850_ blows less than one second?" Tenchi asked excited, "That's _more_ than just impressive, little Washu! That is way cool!"

**  
**The little scientist nodded. "Specifically it was 850 blows in 0.9195864 seconds. Quite fascinating, your friend."

**  
**Tenchi nodded with a grin while Ayeka smirked. "I believe Ryo-Ohki was right. in trying to warn Ryoko. It is clear that she is in trouble." she said. Then she turned to Washu. "But how is this possible, little Washu? Is Ranma human or not?" she asked.

**  
**The scientist shrugged. "Can't say without a thorough lab analysis. And boy do I look forward to that one! Bwahahahahaa! Soon I will find out what makes you tick, Ranma Saotome!"

**  
**-.-

**  
**While Ranma was waiting for Ryoko to get up and resume the fight a sudden chill went down her spine. As if someone was talking about her in a way that would bring nothing good for her. Odd...

**  
**Meanwhile Ryoko had gathered her bearings again down in the crater she had involuntarily created. "Now what the nine hells _was that_?" she asked herself.

**  
**Her head hurt like she had spent ten days drinking extensively in the bar of Ter'Luch, the worst star base in the known eighteen galaxies. Luckily her mother had made her of such stern stuff; thus she was able to shake the effects of effortlessly. It seemed that she had underestimated her opponent; it was something she would not do again as Ranma seemed to be at least as strong as she. "Grrr, time to get really serious. Kids gloves are off!" she grumbled and summoned her energy sword.

**  
**Feat that surprised Ranma for a second. Aside from Herb no baka no one had been able to form a sword with their ki until now. Or _was_ it really ki? Ranma shrugged. She would have time enough to analyze this at a later point in time. **'Okay, now it is time to get _really_ serious.'** she thought and unconsciously mirrored Ryoko's grumblings from some seconds ago,** 'The kids' gloves are off now. No more nice Ranma!'**

**  
**Facing Ryoko who had gotten up and was standing at the ready Ranma tapped into the new well of power as well as into her vast ki-reserves.

**  
**Fact that did not go unnoticed by Washu's instruments. "I'll be!" the little scientist exclaimed excitedly. "According to my scanners Ranma's power-level is rising dramatically! Aside from her internal ki-energies she seems to access some kind of power unknown to me. Before I could not say with exactness but she's getting stronger! I can't say if her power is Juraian in origin, the data is too unclear as the two power-sources are intermixing. But she is _very_ strong! And her power-level is still rising!"

**  
**While Kasumi wondered at the 'Juraian'-part Ranma had finished powering up. She was now engulfed in a fiery aura and her eyes blazed. Like Ryoko she was now looking like a demon from hell.

**  
**"Incredible!" Washu exclaimed as she read her scanner, "According to my readings she is now at least as strong as you, Katsuhito!" she exclaimed. Said Katsuhito nodded to himself and was smiling a prideful smile while he watched Ranma powering up further.

**  
**Ryoko, not to be bested powered up herself and then came at Ranma like the demon from hell she had once thought to have been. At first she used her energy sword and tried to slice the offending girl with it but noticed soon that Ranma was way too fast now. Ryoko might have been strong and tough but her Amaguriken speed gave Ranma the edge she needed to avoid each and every sword-strike. And in addition to her speed the redhead was also strong and tough enough to hold her own against Ryoko.

**  
**Getting somewhat frustrated with her lack of success Ryoko then fired yet another barrage of energy blasts at Ranma but this time the pigtailed martial artist dodged every single one instead of taking them head on, only using her superior speed.

**  
**Weaving around the blasts at a speed that was insane Ranma was suddenly in Ryoko's face and well within her defences. The punch to the ex-space-pirates face was however suddenly blocked by an unexpected hindrance. "A forcefield? You can make a forcefield with your ki?" she asked in surprise as she executed a backflip to avoid the counter-attack that followed at _her_ face.

**  
**Ryoko smirked. "Your luck has run out. What you can't hit you can't defeat regardless of your strength and power. Now it's my turn, kitten."

**  
**Ranma shuddered at the 'k'-word. "I'm not out of the game yet!" she countered in defiance.

**  
**Then, under the protection of the force-field, Ryoko attacked. While Ranma was busy dodging the blows she reached out with her 'aura-senses' and perceived the force-field that hindered her to lay hands on Ryoko. It was like in that Dragonball Z episode she had watched where Majin Buu had gone berserk and had been engulfed in a forcefield that hindered Vegetto to knock him out of it.

**  
**But in contrast to the Anime character Vegetto she could not trust her new powers so much as of yet that she would be able to overpower the forcefield Ryoko had erected. She'd have to overcome it in another way as she did not want to endanger Ryoko too much. Sure the other was tough but who could guarantee her that nothing would go wrong? Nope, she wouldn't take chances.

**  
**Thus Ranma began analyzing the force-field with her senses while Ryoko was pressing her attacks; the redhead was searching for weak spots she could exploit while she dodged and weaved around the blows Ryoko dealt out. _Every_ forcefield had a weak spot and like with the Breaking Point technique it was the question of finding it.

**  
**And after some moments Ranma nodded to herself. There! Just beneath Ryoko's shoulder blades was the weakest spot of the forcefield. Had Ranma ever read the novel about Siegfried the dragon slayer she would have found it ironic!

**  
**For just like it had been for the mythological hero Ryoko's weak spot was on her back too. Normally Ranma hated to attack from behind but in this case she had no other choice. Shrugging cutely she began to lure Ryoko into the necessary position.

**  
**At just the right moment she used her Amaguriken speed to get behind Ryoko; speed, which had even been enhanced through the training with Cologne and through her own growth in power. "Flaming Orb!" she yelled and fired a much stronger version of her trademark ki-attack at the weak spot she had sensed within the shield.

**  
**The 'Flaming orb' was actually a combination of her ki-powers and her new, emerging powers and much stronger than its predecessor; one could say it was a stronger version of the 'Panda flambé' she had used on her father one time. The fiery sphere sped towards Ryoko and hit her or more precisely the force-field dead centre.

**  
**Seconds later said force-field winked out of existence much to Ryoko's astonishment. Nearly no one had ever managed to disable her forcefield! What _was_ this boy, girl, or whatever before her? No normal human could throw energy blasts or do any of the stuff s/he had! And that had been one hell of a strong energy blast, nothing like those weak ones she had used before! No, there was _no way_ in hell that this Ranma was a normal human! But what was s/he?

**  
**Shaking herself out of her musings she decided to act. The similarities between Ranma and Kagato concerning their powers were just too much and now she was getting really angry at the redhead. How dare she disable her precious forcefield! Did she think they were growing on trees or what?

**  
**Growling she attacked once more but to her astonishment she was blocked once again. Ranma then shot a quick roundhouse-kick to Ryoko's head and the force of the kick sent the ex-space pirate straight through a couple of trees. "Sorry Katsuhito!" she exclaimed sheepishly, dejected at having destroyed the trees. After the dust had settled from her counter-attack she clasped her hands. "Now that should give her a good headache." she commented with a smirk.

**  
**"A good headache, ya say?" a voice suddenly asked from behind. "Here's the motherload for ya!"

**  
**This time Ranma had no time to defend herself from the attack that immediately followed the statement and as _she_ went flying at another group of trees she inwardly scolded herself for having let her guard down. The strength of the punch had also been surprising for it had been even stronger than even Ryoga's best shot. Fact that brought a smile to her face. She just loved tough fights!

**  
**-.-

**  
**What Ranma had not seen was that Ryoko had used her ability to teleport from the spot she had been in to the spot behind Ranma. This had given her an edge.

**  
**As Ranma crashed through an array of trees Sasami had clasped a hand over her mouth. She knew how tough Ryoko was and the ex-space-pirate could survive such a blow with ease. But what about Ranma?  
"Oh my I hope she's not hurt!" the little girl exclaimed with worry.

**  
**Kasumi laid a comforting hand on the little girls shoulder. "Have faith. Ranma has survived much worse. In fact I could tell you stories you would not believe." she said with a smile.

**  
**"Really?" Sasami asked, looking up into the taller girls face.

**  
**The oldest Tendo girl nodded with a serene smile and suddenly, a few seconds later the tree trunks that had landed upon Ranma were incinerated in a fiery display of power. In midst a crater stood Ranma and as she realigned her joints she was still engulfed in an aura of pure fire, not looking worse for the wear. She looked at Ryoko. "That _tickled_." she exclaimed.

**  
**In reality, had it not been for her new powers and her Bakusai Tenketsu training she would have been severely injured. She had been tough back then but only her new powers and the toughness she had acquired through the training in the Breaking Point prevented her from losing badly to Ryoko. In fact she knew that she had a _small_ edge over the other girl due to her speed-advantage but an edge was an edge; and she planned to use this edge.

**  
**Washu was once more having kittens. "Incredible! Not so much as a scratch! A normal human being would have been incapacitated or dead! What_ is _she?" she asked with a gleam in her eyes.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Her daughter was currently asking herself the same thing. She had landed one of her strongest blows ever, had not held back in the slightest and had sent that irritating girl right through those trees. And then she got up and said it had _tickled_! What was it with her?

**  
**Slowly Ryoko began to worry that her Ryo-Ohki had been right and that she _was_ knee deep in trouble and in high over her head. She sensed that she was probably the stronger fighter even if not by much but the damn speed-advantage the redhead had was showing. That Ranma seemed to be nearly as tough as she was did not help her, Ryoko, any. However her ingrained self-esteem and confidence in her abilities override those worries however. She had survived enough fights in dubious bars and she'd not back out of a fight against a human!

**  
**That she did not call it an honourable draw at this point had nothing to do with the fact that her rival Ayeka was watching the fight. No of course not. "You're not half bad." she finally admitted.

**  
**Ranma cocked her head and showed a smirk. "The same goes for you. But you ain't seen nothin' yet, sister." she said.

**  
**Time for some more hand to hand. She would show her opponent what the costs were in only relying on strength and endurance without having technique or style and most important, speed. Sure, Ryoko was pretty darn powerful and strong and most probably one of the toughest fighters she had fought but considering technique and style she was an amateur; so as if she'd fought in a lot of street fights or in pub-brawls where toughness, endurance and strength mattered the most.

**  
**She, Ranma, had had style and technique before she had grown in power, strength and endurance. Time to show Ryoko what a difference style and technique added to those factors could make.

**  
**Tapping into her Amaguriken speed she phased out once more and reappeared before Ryoko; the redhead immediately launched a barrage of blows at the startled Ryoko before she could raise her defences. Each blow felt like a jackhammer to the surprised ex-space-pirate and Ryoko could not block a single punch and staggered back. Only her extraordinary toughness saved her at this point.

**  
**Ranma nodded to herself. It was just like she had thought. Ryoko was all raw power and toughness but no match for her regarding speed. But she was good and to be honest her best opponent in a long time. However now it was time to end this for she was getting _really_ hungry.

**  
**Using her boosted strength and speed Ranma covered the distance separating them and connected an upper-cut to Ryoko's chin before the cyan-haired woman could defend herself; actually Ryoko had planned to phase through the ground to surprise her opponent but the surprise attack thwarted her plans and the blow senther flying towards the lake. Ryoko just had been too slow to enact her own plan and Ranma had played out her speed-advantage to the fullest. The other girl impacted at the shore, somewhat dazed and surprised from both the attack itself and the strength behind it; she simply had not seen it coming.

**  
**Then Ranma began to ready one of her new moves. From watching Dragonball Z she had learned a lot. During the times she had always needed to cool down from Akane's many fits she'd spent the time practising the moves which she had found out were doable. She'd found out to her surprise that a lot of what had been used in the show could be built upon to create or revise her own attacks.

**  
**Thus even Kasumi was surprised when Ranma suddenly cupped her hands to her right side and not only her eyes grew to the size of dinner-plates when Ranma began to chant and a yellow glow grew in her hands. "KA… NE… MO… KU… HAA!" she shouted.

**  
**At the moment when she had uttered the last syllable a huge yellow beam exited her palms and headed straight for Ryoko. The ex-space pirate had gotten to her feet and was ready to resume the fight but when she laid eyes on the energy attack that headed her way she had the classic look of a deer caught in the headlights on her face. Her jaw impacted onto the ground from sheer surprise at seeing something that she had only ever seen before in an anime series.

**  
**The watchers had their jaws on the ground too and only Washu was unaffected. The little scientist was grinning like a maniac despite what would happen to her daughter in a few seconds. But Washu did not worry too much. She had made Ryoko of really stern stuff and was certain that she'd only receive some scraps and bruises. Besides the power-level of that attack seemed to have been carefully gauged so as only to knock her daughter out; which showed great control over her powers.

**  
**But what Ranma had done there was incredible and should have been impossible! Yes, she'd have to get her into her lab somehow so that she could find out what made her tick. That had priority even over her ploy to get samples from Tenchi!

**  
**-.-

**  
**As the attack headed for Ryoko everyone saw that it was too late for her to teleport out of the way and the attack hit her dead on. Ranma had gauged the energy level of her new attack very carefully so as not to kill Ryoko accidentally. The other girl had been irritating as hell and her insults had stung but still, Ranma hoped that they would be able to get along.

**  
**Ever since she had overcome her foot-in-mouth-disease and had begun to treat Ryoga better she had come to know that it was far easier to get along with people if one refrained from insulting and taunting them. Besides, even despite her slowness compared to her Ryoko would make an _excellent_ sparring partner. The other girl was _very_ tough and strong!

**  
**Had her own powers not been boosted so much Ryoko would have wiped the ground with her; she also sensed that the other had loads of room for improvement. Thus she watched with a semi-chagrined expression as the attack headed for the cyan-haired woman.

**  
**Washu on her part was grinning like a maniac and silently thanked herself for her genius and that she had used it to develop such superb technological wonders. Due to them she would have the whole fight on data crystals! Soon she would have a whole new specimen to analyze. And what a fascinating one! Oh the joy! As Washu erupted in her trademark insane scientist laughter # 127 everyone shuddered and Tenchi said a quick prayer to Kami-sama to spare his childhood friend.

**  
**As no one had ever seen such an attack before except for on the TV everyone still had eyes the size of dinner plates. Even Katsuhito was flabbergasted. He had never seen anything like that before and he had seen a lot in his long life. Amazing! He only hoped that Ryoko would survive it; though considering Ranma's character he was sure that she'd not harm Ryoko overly much.

**  
**Meanwhile said Ryoko had been hit by the Kanemoku-ha wave and the ex-space pirate noticed soon that all her fighting against it did not help. The attack was simply too strong and she felt how it overwhelmed her. Inwardly she still raged against the attack and when it engulfed her fully she growled at her inability to beat the offending redhead as she got pushed over the ground by the energy wave. Finally she came to a stop only inches away from the lake and nearly threatened to black out.

**  
**Ranma on her part suddenly seemed to disappear and nearly instantly reappeared beside Ryoko. The ex-space pirate was still conscious and she was recovering fast; however she was too weak at the moment to defend herself properly and expected the killing blow to come any second now.

**  
**Dazed the daughter of Washu shook her head to clear it and when Ranma held a hand out a very surprised Ryoko took it and let Ranma help her up. No, that was not going the way she had though it would. She had been sure that Ranma would blast her to oblivion! But instead the redhead helped her to get to her feet! What was going on here?

**  
**The redhead in question on her part smiled a genuine smile at the cyan-haired woman. Fact that surprised the latter further and lowered her defences somewhat. "Ya pack one helluva wallop, monster woman." Ranma said and one could hear that this was not meant in an insulting way.

**  
**"Yer not so bad either, femboy." she countered surprised and she noticed that the sting she had added before when uttering the word femboy was gone.

**  
**Taking in Ranma as if for the first time she began to notice that the redhead was nothing like Kagato. After the fight had been over and she had been defeated by an Anime-attack (she was ready to rip out her hair cause of that!) the redhead had not knocked her out like she would have expected. Instead she had helped her! Maybe she had judged Ranma wrong; and to be honest with herself she could not fault the gender-changing individual for reacting the way s/he had.

**  
**She had really insulted Ranma unreasonably mainly because she had felt the similarities with Kagato; but now that she knew that Ranma was different she hoped that they could start anew. She just had to learn how to do the Kanemoku-ha wave!

**  
**Ranma had noticed the introspective mood of Ryoko and decided to clear some things up. "Hey monster woman," she exclaimed and once more the sting was gone, "I'm really not here to steal Tenchi away. He's my best pal and I'm just not into guys. Not into anyone besides Kasumi." she added with a lop-sided smile.

**  
**Ryoko nodded. "Yeah, I realise that now. Sorry fer biting yer head off but ya reminded me of someone I really hate. He's dead now and till today I hope and pray that the bastich burns in the deepest hell!" she exclaimed with venom before sobering up. "Sorry fer projecting that on ya."

**  
**The redhead realised that this was as far as Ryoko would go in giving her an apology. Inwardly she smiled. The two of them were obviously very much alike; that was probably also the reason why they had clashed. But now that that had been cleared they'd hopefully be able to start fresh. "No prob. I know what ya mean and how ya feel. Besides nothing much happened…" she said as she started looking around. "Oops. Gotta correct myself: not much that a good gardener won't be able to remedy…" she added sheepishly.

**  
**The cyan-haired girl looked around to and took the damage they had done in. She too shared the sheepish expression of the redhead and agreed with her assessment. They had indeed done quite a lot of damage here. "Guess yer right, freak. But I gotta say it was a good fight."

**  
**Ranma smiled at Ryoko. "Sure was, monster woman. But next time let us try to keep the property damage down. The compound's just too nice to be destroyed…"

**  
**Once more the cyan-haired woman was surprised at the attitude of the redhead. Ranma was not how she had expected her to be. It seemed she had really projected the image she had had of Kagato onto Ranma due to his/her enormous powers; and that had been a mistake. Now that she had realised that she had no hard feelings any more. Those had been replaced by a grudging respect for the redhead.

**  
**It had been a good fight but the next time around she would beat her! Those were the thoughts of Ryoko when they started walking over to where the others were standing.

**  
**-.-

**  
**It seemed that the animosity between Ranma and Ryoko had dissipated and had instead changed into something of a rivalry. Maybe the two had just needed to vent some frustrations over meeting someone who was so similar, Washu mused. Both her daughter and Ranma were very headstrong, confident and partially arrogant personalities and thus it was no wonder that those two had collided at first. And what a clash that had been!

**  
**Inwardly Washu smiled. Maybe her daughter had finally found someone with whom she could compete on a healthy basis. She, too, wished for her Ryoko to win the hand of Tenchi but she also knew that it was hard for her daughter to compete with Ayeka day in and day out.

**  
**Despite her rough exterior Washu knew that her Ryoko was a softie inside and that she sometimes felt insecure in face of the perfectly mannered royal competition. Who knew, maybe those two, Ranma and her daughter, would even be good for each other now that they had apparently overcome their initial differences. Washu nodded to herself, satisfied with the outcome of the fight and the data she had acquired.

**  
**Meanwhile the others watched how Ranma helped Ryoko to her feet after the ex-space-pirate had literally been shoved over the ground. Katsuhito smiled when Ranma helped Ryoko to her feet; the old Shinto priest was very pleased with the behaviour Ranma was displaying.

**  
**Katsuhito nodded to himself in a satisfied way. If anything the child of Nodoka was honourable. Not many would have helped an opponent after they had beaten them. That alone spoke volumes about Ranma's character. And the power the young gender-changing individual had displayed! It had nearly been even more than he had at his disposal. She had even created an honest to goodness energy wave only by using her ki!

**  
**Similar thoughts were running through Washu's head as the redhead analyzed the fight. Foremost, the ki-reserves the young martial artist possessed were _huge_! Not to mention that this other well of power Ranma had accessed was _very_ interesting and warranted more research. Washu still did not know if it was of Juraian origin; but she'd find out. As soon as she'd get Ranma into her lab.

**  
**As far as Washu could tell from her observations Ranma seemed to be _much_ more than a normal human and it would be very interesting to hear her complete life-story. Maybe she could deduce facts from that. The scientist nodded to herself. She could hardly wait to get Ranma into her lab.

**  
**-.-

**  
**A minute later Ranma and an extremely battered and bruised looking Ryoko returned to the group. Ryo-Ohki meowed unhappily at seeing her mistress in this condition but she had warned her. But had Ryoko listened? Nooo. The little cabbit held no grudge towards Ranma however. She had caused those injuries but she had treated her mistress fairly. Ryo-Ohki spontaneously decided that she liked the redhead. Maybe she had also a carrot for her?

**  
**Ryoko on her part threw a sheepish smile at her cabbit, one that admitted that Ryo-Ohki had been right. Ranma who had meanwhile accepted that this was no cat bent down to one knee to scratch the little cabbit behind the ear with her left hand.

**  
**Soon Ryo-Ohki meowed happily and forgot even the carrot she had wished for. Ranma looked down at her with a somewhat forced smile while she still suppressed a shudder at the sound. Finally she looked at the still recovering Ryoko. "Sorry, but you didn't leave me any other choice. I did not want to have to resort to my newer powers as I don't know how much control I have over them yet. I could have unintentionally grilled you thus this was the easiest way to knock you flat."

**  
**Ryoko nodded in understanding. "It was one helluva fight but next time _I_ am gonna knock _ya_ flat, femboy!" she exclaimed with a smirk.

**  
**Ranma laughed a genuine laugh. "I'll take ya up on that offer, monster woman." she said with a smirk.

**  
**The ex-space pirate smirked back. "Good ta hear that, freak."

**  
**The group looked at each other and smiled. It seemed that now that the two had vented some steam the worst was over; it actually seemed as if Ranma and Ryoko would be able to get along without killing each other on sight. Finally Ayeka, in a mixture of admiration, caution and not a little respect asked "Ranma, what in the name of Tsunami was that what you used on Ryoko? It looked like a giant energy-wave right out of an Anime!" she exclaimed before saying "Oops." as she realised that she had practically revealed that she, the first crown princess of Jurai, watched Animes. And gauging from the smirk on Ryoko's face she could count on being teased for it.

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded and when she answered she smiled sheepishly. "It was. But I'll tell ya everything after we've returned into the house. I'm really hungry and I figure Ryoko here could need some food too."

**  
**Ryoko nodded. She did not need much food per se but it would help her to heal faster. Besides, she wanted to get back in top form again to have a rematch. Ranma was a formidable fighter, one that could help even her to further her improvement.

**  
**Ever since her fusion with Dr. Clay's Android Zero she had gotten a lot stronger, tougher and faster but she felt that there was still room for loads of improvement. Ranma could probably help her in that regard, she mused. Maybe they could even help each other.

**  
**Sasami looked at Ranma and Ryoko and smiled. "It will be my pleasure to prepare something for you." she said and both Ranma and Ryoko bowed to the little girl.

**  
**Meanwhile Washu ran a scanner over the body of her daughter and nodded to herself. "Mmmmhh, some food would do you good, Ryoko, for it would help your natural healing capabilities to remedy the inflicted damage faster. I've made you of stern stuff but even that has its limits."

**  
**"How badly is Ryoko injured?" Sasami asked with care.

**  
**Washu smiled back at the little princess. "It's nothing too bad. Ryoko here will only be aching for a few hours like a horde of elephants have performed a step dance tourney on her body but that will fade soon. If she were to use the tank even that would be done and over with in approximately one hour."

**  
**This answer relieved everyone and Ranma forestalled any further questions for later. First she received her winners kiss from Kasumi which was accompanied by a lot of cat-calls and whistling.

**  
**-.-

**  
**A little while later everyone was sitting on the comfortable couches of the living room. Ryoko had taken up the additional offer of her mother and had placed herself in one of the rejuvenation tanks Washu had developed lately. According to the instruments of the tank it would take roughly one hour for her to heal.

**  
**To have an efficient way of healing injured fighters little Washu had decided to do something different than before and she had invented the regeneration tanks. This way the person could heal efficiently even from really grievous wounds without her or the others having to worry too much.

**  
**There had been a lot of close calls lately which had spurred Washu to stress her genius intellect and she was rightfully proud with what she had come up. She, too, had watched the show Dragonball Z and had patterned the rejuvenation tanks after those of the series.

**  
**Due to her knowledge of the series she had also recognised the attack Ranma had used but prior to this she would have thought it impossible that anyone could pull such a thing off. Though obviously Ranma had managed to and she, Washu, would love to find out how.

**  
**The redheaded genius had also noticed another interesting fact about Ranma, one that added to the many unsolved questions concerning the gender-changing martial artist. The cuts and bruises she had received when crashing through the trees had already completely disappeared. Intriguing.

**  
**-.-

**  
**At the moment Ranma was sitting snuggled up to Kasumi after she had received a warm tea, a trayful of Sasami's cookies and a blanket. She had spent a lot of her energy and it had been decided that they would wait for Ryoko to emerge from the rejuvenation tank until they'd take in some real food.

**  
**Thus Ranma was munching on some more of the heavenly cookies Sasami had produced in an instant. Ranma had not bothered to change back and everyone would have agreed if asked that the two women made a cute picture how they were snuggled up.

**  
**The others had no way of knowing this but on their way to the Masaki's Ranma and Kasumi had decided that they would show each other as much affection when they were both girls as they did when in their birth forms or alternate forms.

**  
**After all, it was the person inside that counted and they'd found out that kissing and making out as girls was a nice thing too. The only thing the two did not like was making out when both were guys for somehow that did not feel… right. Thus Ranma was presently leaning into Kasumi while the older girl softly stroked the redheads' hair. It was curious that those two were apparently not embarrassed at all to show their emotions even in their cursed forms.

**  
**But then, Washu mused, why _should_ they be? They had to live with their curses and that they had opposite curses made the whole thing a lot more interesting for them. In Washu's opinion anyway.

**  
**During the hour they waited for Ryoko to heal Washu decided to test a theory and used the DVD-system they had to play one of the Dragonball Z DVDs Tenchi owned. Movie 14 had an impressive demonstration of the Kamehame-ha wave and when Washu asked Ranma if that was really the attack she had used on Ryoko the redhead nodded sheepishly. "Yes, I created something similar. I know it might sound funny but when I watched this movie I thought 'What the heck? Why not?'. As Akane clobbered me often enough into LEO I had more than enough time at hand to come up with something. The result was the Kanemoku-ha wave. Now due to my increase in ki I'm strong enough to project my ki and form it into the wave you saw." she finished.

**  
**Especially Tenchi was flabbergasted. "You saw an attack on a TV show and made it useable for real life? How in Kami-samas name?"

**  
**Again Ranma smiled sheepishly. "You know, every time I got into a quarrel with my ex-fiancée I had to vent some frustration. Some time ago I had discovered a large unpopulated area five miles outside of Nerima and that is were I tested my new moves. You know, ever since I first saw Dragonball Z I just loved the show! I mean, the fights, the action, the cool powers… what more could someone like me wish for in a show? Oh, and not to forget the romance." she said with a cute smile as she gave Kasumi a kiss on the mouth which was reciprocated in kind by the brunette.

**  
**The attendees smiled at each other and Ranma enjoyed the blush that flared on Kasumi's cheeks. "When I saw the attacks they pulled in the show I thought maybe I can do that too. After all, those attacks are all based on ki and ironically the explanations that were given for how the Kamehame-ha wave works made perfect sense. I admit that I had to overcome a lot of obstacles until I got it working but once it worked… hoh boy! I'm quite positive that at least Cologne sensed what I was doing and maybe that was also a reason why she let me from the hook but at the time I did not care. I kept the new attacks a secret and vowed to use them only against especially strong opponents. Sure my Kamemoku-ha wave is probably not as strong as the original but I'm quite happy with it. Though I have to admit that one of my opponents, Prince Herb gave me loads of inspiration too. But more to that later."

**  
**"A… attacks? Plural? You mean… there's more?" Tenchi asked, while Washu smiled at what Ranma had said. Both the fact that she had adapted Anime attacks to real life and that she had praised her daughter as an 'especially strong opponent' made Ranma a person she could respect and like. But despite that she'd get the redhead into her lab come there hell or high water!

**  
**The redhead on her part nodded sheepishly. "You wouldn't believe what is possible when you got as much ki as I do now. But not every energy-attack I can do is from Dragonball Z." she said with a smile. "I had other sources of inspiration too especially from my own fights. And the Kanemoku-ha wave is something I can do one time only. After that my ki-reserves are nearly dry and I'd have to rely on hand-to-hand only. But I'm sure that with a little ki-training I'd be able to show you the one or the other move, Tenchi." she said with a smile at her old friend.

**  
**The young man's eyes gleamed and he nodded eagerly. "That would be so cool! In exchange I could teach you some of the moves I know."

**  
**That remark caused Ranma's eyes to gleam. "I'd love that. We could also include you in our training schedule. You know, I've begun to teach my love here the basics of the Anything Goes style. I know that you're a fighter, your whole posture makes that clear. So it would be my pleasure to include you. What are your preferred styles, Tenchi?"

**  
**Tenchi grinned. "Kempo and Kendo. Thanks to grandfather Katsuhito here" he said with a wave of the hand at said Shinto priest, "I have become quite proficient in the ways of the blade."

**  
**The redhead nodded. "Thus it might be a good idea if you learned how to fight unarmed. After all in a fight you might get disarmed so skills in hand to hand and how to disarm a weapons user might be what you could need. I might even be able to teach you how to fire energy blasts and how to increase your speed. But for some teachings I will need the permissions of Cologne. She is an Amazon matriarch and really good at martial arts. In fact she is one of the best there is. But more about her once Ryoko has joined us."

**  
**"Is her name really Cologne, Ranma?" Mihoshi asked cutely.

**  
**The cursed martial artist grinned at her. "Actually, no. But her name translates this way into Japanese. We can't pr...pro... what is the word again, love?" she asked Kasumi.

**  
**"Pronounce, Ranma-chan." Kasumi supplied while stroking her hair. She had gotten a lot better at it, and Kasumi was very proud of her love.

**  
**"Thanks, love." she said and smiled up at her. "We can't pronounce her name correctly thus it sounds like that. There is also her great-granddaughter whose name translates as Shampoo. Or the nerving duck-boy, Mousse."

**  
**"They sound like hair care products!" Mihoshi exclaimed which caused everyone to laugh.

**  
**After she had sobered up again Ranma continued but she refrained to comment upon the Amazons. They were literally out of her hair, even if Shampoo did or did not know it yet. "That they do. But I must admit that I learned one of my most powerful attacks from Elder Cologne. The Hiryu Shoten Ha. I'll explain it in detail once Ryoko has joined us and believe me, Tenchi, you'll love it." she finished smirking.

**  
**"Cool!" Tenchi said with a glitter in his eyes. After what he had seen so far he was sure that he _would_ believe it.

**  
**Finally Ranma looked sheepishly at Sasami. "Umm, Sasami?"

**  
**Said Juraian Princess smiled at the older girl. "Yes, Ranma-chan?"

**  
**"Is lunch ready yet? Nothing against your cookies or waiting for Ryoko, but I'm really starving here!" the cursed martial artist exclaimed.

**  
**Everyone face-faulted, and seconds later they broke out in laughter. Kasumi shook her head. It was always the same with her Ranma. Always thinking with the stomach. Not that she would have wanted to have her any other way...

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	20. Ranma's life story

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 20: Ranma's life story**

**  
**Luckily for Ranma Ryoko came out of the lab five minutes after her announcement that she'd starve to death if she did not get some real food right away. The ex-space pirate was completely restored and smirked into the round. "There, as good as new!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Ranma grinned from her position on the couch. "How about some sparring after we finish the meal?" she asked with a glint in her eyes.

**  
**Ryoko smirked in answer. "Sounds good, Red."

**  
**That remark caused Ranma's brow to climb into her hair. "Red? Huh? What do ya mean?"

**  
**The ex-space pirates' smirk deepened. "It fits ya, freak. I've never seen someone with just as red hair as you. So it's Red for ya." she teased.

**  
**Ranma smirked. "First I gotta eat and then I'm gonna find a fitting nick for ya, monster woman. Can't be creative on an empty stomach."

**  
**The two glared at each other and smiles were exchanged within the group in face of their behaviour. Finally Sasami began to serve the meal and Ranma dug in like someone who had not eaten in days. For the record, it was already 7 p.m. when Ranma had finally finished eating; much to the amusement and fascination of the others.

**  
**Ranma had eaten like a starving (wo)man and after she was finished Katsuhito explained the reason why. "Ranma needs much more food than the average person as she has so vast reserves of ki. To maintain them she needs a constant intake of calories to provide enough energy. If any of you started ki-building exercises and would start to use your ki on a regular basis, you would also need more energy, thus more food. But food is no problem, Ranma. Just eat as much as you want, I know that your ki-reserves and other powers are still expanding."

**  
**The audience absorbed this and Ryoko gave her cabbit the mental order to perform a deep scan on Ranma. She wanted to know exactly how strong the redhead was. During the fight she had come to know that Ranma could very well keep up with her, but had she not gotten some surprise hits the fight might have very well ended in a draw at least.

**  
**Over her mental link she contacted her Ryo-Ohki to give her specific instructions. **'Ryo-Ohki I want you to scan Ranma without anyone noticing it. If Washu notices it ain't a tragedy just make it so that Ayeka doesn't find out. I want to know exactly how strong Red really is.'**

**  
**Ryo-Ohki looked at her and nodded. **'Miya miya!'** she sent back and began her scan.

**  
**Anyway, Ranma really seemed to be as strong as she; had it not be for her fusion with Clays Android she would have royally lost to Red instead of just merely. Ryoko's eyes gleamed in face of all the fun they could have! Against Ayeka she had never been able to go all out and she had not wanted to harm the princess as Tenchi would surely not react well to it.

**  
**She had no illusions that Tenchi liked Ayeka just as much as he liked her. Then there was also the matter of the Juraians who would surely not take well to their first crown princess being injured or worse. She was still on their black list despite the fact that her criminal records had practically gone up in smoke due to expiration. But against Red here she would not have to hold back. Whoa, those would be some fights!

**  
**After their brawl she had also calmed down enough to analyze the situation logically. This had been a necessary ability in her former life in space and with a cool head she saw everything more clearly. She had already made her first observations after the fight but the byplay that went on and off between Ranma and Kasumi _proved_ that those two obviously more than liked each other.

**  
**Ryoko had learned to read body-language a long time ago and the way these two looked at each other removed her last doubts. Ranma was not here to steal her Tenchi and neither was Kasumi. But it would be a world of fun to tease Red in the upcoming months. Apparently the gender-changing individual was a lot like her and she could see in her eyes that Ranma had seen a lot in her short life.

**  
**While the others chatted Ryoko remained on the support beam above the heads of the others, one of her customary resting spots. In hindsight she was really satisfied with how the situation had turned out. Instead of another rival for Tenchi's hand (and his other parts, Ryoko thought with a smirk) she might have found a fellow warrior from whom she could learn and who she might be able to show the one or the other trick too. It would be fun for the two of them if they pushed each other constantly to become better; this was the kind of rivalry she liked.

**  
**For instance she'd love to learn how to do this cool energy wave with which Ranma had nailed her. She had never seen anything quite like that before and she had seen a lot in her over 5,000 years of existence. Ranma seemed to have an enormous potential and who knew, maybe the two of them could tap their unused potential together.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Meanwhile Ryo-Ohki had finished her scan of Ranma and the cabbit was currently transmitting what she had found out while Ryoko interpreted the data.

**  
'Miya miya miya miya miya!'** Ryo-Ohki sent, and Ryoko could barely believe it.

**  
**The ex-space pirates had to hide her surprise. **'What do ya mean she's nearly as strong as me?'**

**  
'Miya! Miya miya!'** the cabbit insisted.

**  
**Ryoko shook her head in disbelief. **'Hmm, the data makes that clear, ain't it? Red really_ is_ nearly as strong as me… damn, her power-level is impressive! Then there's also the fact that she's a lot faster than me…'**

**  
**The ex-space-pirate really had no other choice but to believe her Ryo-Ohki for the little cabbit had yet to steer her wrong. Mentally she rubbed her hands as she now had _proof_ that she had another decent warrior here. One that could compete with her; even best her as Ranma had proven.

**  
**Ever since then Ryoko realised Red had demonstrated that she obviously loved her companion. This meant that she needn't fear that her Tenchi might be taken away from her. When Ryoko had lost most of her distrusting reservations she had felt some kind of kinship. Yes, Ranma's stay here might prove to be beneficial for the two of them and she'd just _love_ to tease the redhead.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Ayeka for her part looked interested and worried at the same time at what her half-brother had said. "Expanding ki-reserves and other powers, Grandfather? What do you mean?" the Princess asked.

**  
**The Shinto Priest looked at his half-sister. There were some things he was not ready to tell just yet as they would be an unnecessary burden for Ranma at this point in time. "Only that. Ranma's powers are still growing and she'll need a lot more food in the future."

**  
**That startled not only Ayeka. Sasami, Tenchi and Mihoshi were equally surprised. And Ryoko hid her smirk. She herself had gotten a good deal stronger lately and it would be nice to have a _competent_ sparring partner for a change. Her own assessment after the scan in that regard had been satisfying but to hear it from Yosho was so much better. "She is already as strong as you and she is still growing in power? Incredible! Ranma," Ayeka said, "how came this about?" she asked curiously.

**  
**Ranma sighed and Ryoko picked up at hearing this from her position on the cross beam. That sounded exactly like _she _would have sounded had she had to talk about her past. "It all started after Jusendo." she began.

**  
**Tenchi interrupted her. "Ranma, you don't need to talk about it. I know it is still hard on you. It's the same for me with Kagato. So, no sweat."

**  
**The cursed martial artist smiled thankfully at her childhood friend. "Thanks, buddy. That means a lot. But thanks to Kasumi here," she smiled at her girlfriend, "I don't have so much of a problem to talk about it any more. But maybe I should start at the beginning. I already told Tenchi and Katsuhito some of it. Maybe it would be good if we could get everyone to hear the story."

**  
**Tenchi nodded and went to fetch Mihoshi, while Katsuhito was the only one brave enough to disturb Washu in her lab. Some minutes later Ranma had changed back to his birth form and everyone was again seated on the comfy couches or lying on a cross-beam like in Ryoko's case. Then Ranma began to relate his story.

**  
**The training trip he had been dragged off onto by his father at an abnormally early age, five, to be precise because his idiot father had feared that the influence of his mother would make his son weak and soft. That his father had drawn up a suicide-contract in which he promised to make Ranma the best martial artist of his generation as well as a 'man among men'. Here Ranma forestalled questions and promised to explain this in detail later. Gauging from the expressions on the faces of his listeners this would be very much needed.

**  
**Ranma continued to explain how he had been beaten upon constantly by his father in the 'training', how he had to fight him over food and often ended up hungry and how much he had missed his mother. At this point Kasumi had to suppress her tears but was only partly successful and softly drew her Ranma into a comforting hug. Kami-sama knew that both needed it.

**  
**Even the battle-hardened Ayeka was hard pressed to stem her tears while her little sister had not so much restraint. She was openly crying. Sasami loved her mother with all her heart and she could not imagine to not see her for over ten years. This would be something that would break her.

**  
**How hard it must have been for poor Ranma! Ryoko for her part was openly seething at what the young man had gone through. Her mother was not the best parent but this… this creature really took the fruitcake. With nuts on top. Ever since what Kagato had done to her she had very adverse reactions to people who mistreated others and now she knew why she had sensed some kinship: Red was not only a fellow warrior but she had suffered too. Scowling Ryoko listened in.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Ranma proceeded to tell everything about Ukyo including the engagement and the present situation, how his father had sold him for food countless times and stolen him back, the engagements for food and how his father had made him steal until he himself had realised that it was dishonourable to do so. Then he explained the Cat-fist training.

**  
**This time he explained it in full detail and quite a lot of the attendees had to suppress the urge to lose their lunch. Katsuhito simmered and only his iron-hard control prevented him from throwing a fit of rage. "So the idiot actually did what I feared he would do... and here I had hoped that he'd stopped after the first time it did not work…he must have realised what he did… how could he continue…" he muttered unheard by the others.

**  
**Ayeka looked at Ranma disbelieving. "Your own _father_ actually did this to you? He wrapped you in fish products and threw you into a pit filled with starving cats? _Your own father_?" she asked incredulous.

**  
**"WHAT!" had Ryoko exclaimed from her position above their heads at the same time. As it was her first exclamation in quite some time everyone looked at her. Ignoring the multiple pairs of eyes looking at her Ryoko simmered visibly. "What kind of parent does that to his own child? What kind of bastard is he?"

**  
**Ranma nodded with a chagrined smile. "I'm asking myself the same question quite often. And yup. He did this to me and all this to learn the 'ultimate technique'. Some technique if the user has to be insane to use it."

**  
**Washu piped up. "Insane? As in the pathological condition, Ranma?"

**  
**The cursed martial artist sighed. He always felt embarrassed when talking about it although it was not his fault. "In order to learn the c... c... c... Neko-ken the user has to snap. Only in this state the technique is usable."

**  
**Only Katsuhito knew better but he refrained from commenting for now. He would have to do some massive research to try to undo what that stupidest idiot of all, Genma Saotome, had done. Never would he have thought that Genma had somehow gotten his hands on a scroll for the Neko-ken. He had probably stolen the scroll somewhere and to top it obviously the _incomplete_ one. Sigh. Trust Genma Saotome to mess things up royally.

**  
**No, he could not have Ranma run around in the uncontrolled, feral state. Not with the kind of powers the youth possessed and had demonstrated. If he was right with his suspicions this was even truer; he was quite certain that he _was_ right for he had seen some tell-tale signs. The effects of the incomplete cat-fist training had to be remedied as soon as possible. Katsuhito nodded to himself. He'd start the research as soon as possible.

**  
**Meanwhile the others were thinking what for a kind of monster Ranma's father was. It had become rapidly clear from Ranma's narration that Genma Saotome was a complete and utter fool who had used every occasion to fill his fat stomach and live off of his child until Ranma's departure from Nerima but _this_... this was just _hideous_! Who could do _something like that_ to his own child! And all that in the name of training? Who was the idiot trying to fool?

**  
**Kasumi who was sitting once more beside Ranma still hugged him softly. Ayeka finally gathered enough courage to ask. "I know I will regret the question but... how... how old were you when it happened? The... the Neko-ken, I mean." she asked still shocked out of her mind.

**  
**Ranma's eyes looked haunted. "Six. I was six years old, Ayeka."

**  
**"WHAT!" everyone seemed to yell in stereo. "_Six_? You were only _six_ years old?"

**  
**Ryoko simmered even more by now. She might not have had much motherly instincts and hid her feelings quite well, always covering her inward softness with her brash behaviour but she really felt for Ranma. What the young warrior had gone through was beyond worse. It was a nightmare! And once she'd found out where a certain Genma Saotome was currently living she'd become _his_ nightmare. Oh yes this would be an occasion where she'd love to measure up to her reputation as a demon. Once she'd found him she'd make his life a living hell!

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma had nodded. "Yup. I was too young to understand what was going on. But after the first time I begged him not ta throw me inta the pit again. The cats were scratching me all over and I could only protect me head. He yelled at me ta stop acting like a weak, worthless girl and threw me inta the pit again. He did that for thirty days until I finally snapped. All the while before that he harped at me how I was too weak to learn the ultimate technique and what a disappointment I was."

**  
**Kasumi sighed. She remembered the talk with Ranma's father very well. When he had described the Cat-fist training to her he had indeed said that every failure had ripped out his heart. There and then he had truly sounded as if all that he cared for was the training and not his child.

**  
**She felt her anger at the Saotome patriarch rise and her resolve was reaffirmed once more. When she and Ranma had children of their own Genma Saotome would not be allowed near them. Who knew what he'd do to them? This man had proven time and time again that he cared only for himself and did not stop to think about the consequences of his actions and that he could do something stupid to their future children was nearly a given; he simply could not be trusted and she'd never allow Genma Saotome to do anything to her loved ones ever again.

**  
**Let alone how he had proven back then that Ranma had indeed a fear of cats. By throwing one at her at that time! What kind of parent did that to his own child? For instance, what kind of parent would put his own child through such a kind of torture that was the cat-fist training and would then cry that his child was weak and a disappointment because she did not want to be attacked by a bunch of starved cats? She pulled her Ranma closer to her and when he leant into her she began to stroke his hair.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Washu for her part could not believe this. She felt that she had been a bad parent to Ryoko but this... _this_ literally defied description. "Ranma, where was your mother through all of this and especially when the cat-fist training happened?" she finally asked.

**  
**With a sigh the pigtailed youth said, "As said, I was on a ten year training trip with stupid pops. I was in Osaka at that time. While she was in Tokyo, at home. Believe me, mom didn't know. She _still _does not."

**  
**Ayeka had still trouble grasping it. "I still... can't believe that _anyone_ could do that to a little child. Their own child to boot. Not even the Zark'dorn are that cruel!" she exclaimed and blushed somewhat when she noticed what she had said. Terra had never had contact with them which was good.

**  
**Ranma scowled. Neither he nor Kasumi had caught her slip of tongue. "And that's not all of the idiotic stunts baka oyaji has pulled. But what really annoys the hell outta me about the Neko-ken beside that I snap is that the baka didn't even bother to read the next page."

**  
**"What did it say?" asked Washu.

**  
**Ranma sighed. "It was a very definite warning in very big letters that said _'Only an idiot would teach someone the Neko-ken, because the student will die. If extremely lucky, the student will go hopelessly insane._' Heck, that's only the half of it!" he said with a haunted look in his eyes.

**  
**Ayeka was not sure she did _want_ to know. But like when witnessing an accident morbid curiosity won in Ayeka. Whereas Katsuhito nodded to himself. Genma _had_ indeed used the incomplete version of the training. "W... what is the other half, Ranma?" Ayeka asked.

**  
**Ranma sighed deeply and Kasumi deepened the hug. "Ya saw how I reacted ta Ryo-Ohki." the cabbit picked up at hearing her name and Sasami scratched her behind the ears. "Cause of the freakin' neko-ken I can't even be _near_ a cat! I usually run away in terror when I see a c... c... one of ´em things but ya don't know what happens if I'm around 'em for too long..." Ranma trailed off.

**  
**Everyone except Ranma and Kasumi gulped. Katsuhito looked like he was about to explode for he _knew_ where this was leading. Finally Ayeka asked "Ranma-kun, did he really think that that was some kind of martial arts training? It sounds to me like a torture manual, and its application would be highly punishable on several wor.. ehm, continents. "

**  
**Ranma snorted. Again, neither he nor Kasumi had caught Ayeka's near faux-pas as both were too absorbed with the story and the feelings it brought up. "Training like that was baka oyaji's specialty. Call it School of Saotome Genma - Fat Fool Style. He did not think; he just _did_ it and usually to me. Whenever he got a new scroll he'd try it on me regardless of the warnings on it. After all, it was not his face his stupid stunts blew up inta. No, it was mine. And he pulled a lot of stupid stunts. Do ya know what he did ta increase me speed? The idiot bound me to a speeding train! While he sat on the rear of the train and watched me run. Once a fool, always a fool." he said flatly, "And I _learned_ the neko-ken technique but it wasn't what panda no baka expected."

**  
**Washu looked at him with an expression seldom seen on her face. Care. "What happened, Ranma?" she asked softly.

**  
**The cursed martial artist sighed once more. "As I was saying if I'm around c... c... 'em things too long the c... c... Neko-ken takes over. I go insane. I'm almost invincible and much stronger but I go crazy from the fear, lose my mind. I also 'gin to act like 'em things. I have no memory of it but I've been told the only way ta get me ta snap out of it is ta get me ta fall asleep around someone I trust or ta activate my curse. And I absolutely hate it!" he said with conviction.

**  
**Ryoko was hard pressed not to explode in power and hunt a certain Genma Saotome down. How could this idiot have done something like that! She hated abusive people and this father of Ranma absolutely took the cake. Yes, she'd later on ask her mother nicely if she could help her in finding out the address of one Genma Saotome. A 'goodwill visit' was called for, oh yes…

**  
**-.-

**  
**Everyone else nodded in understanding and Washu gave Ranma a sad smile. "Ranma, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help you. I won't even put you through embarrassing examinations. But I'll need to make some scans of you and take some samples. In both forms. It is necessary and does not only serve to satisfy my curiosity. This is to help you undo the damage an immoral and sadistic man has done to you. Believe me I have met a lot of monsters in my days and your father is either a monster or the most callous and thoughtless being I have ever heard of."

**  
**Ryoko growled. "As far as I am concerned he'll soon be one of the deadest beings I have ever heard of…" she mumbled to herself.

**  
**Ranma snorted. "That's pops alright. The ep… epi… umm, Kas-chan what was the word again?" he asked with a sheepish smile.

**  
**Kasumi smiled back. "Epitome, Ra-kun."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Yeah, that. Pop is the epitome of thoughtlessness. He lives by the motto act first and ask questions a long time later. And the idiot always believed others over me! Ya have no idea how glad I am to be away from him; I only realised in the last weeks just how annoying he really was. Ya know what he did at home... um, the Tendo Dojo?" Shaking heads. "He usually woke me up by throwing me outta the window and inta the koi pond. Then he would harp on me for being a weak, worthless little girl. Even though I beat his fat Panda ass in training all the time and with a blindfold ta boot as they say. He is a woman hating idiot and when we return and he harps at me for being 'a dishonour' cause I am a 'weak, worthless little girl' I will beat him within an inch of his life. And I'll _enjoy_ it. For I have started to getting used ta my female side and won't stand for his insults any longer. I don't say that I like the curse but I've started ta accept it. And he that will not hear must feel." he stated and cracked his knuckles.

**  
**Now Ayeka piped up. "Umm, Ranma, what with your female side... how came that about?" she asked and Ryoko perked up. That part interested her especially as she wanted to eliminate the last traces of danger from Ranma in the rivalry department. Ayeka was bad enough…

**  
**The cursed martial artist sighed. "Stupid pops fault." he said and the others nodded. They had expected this answer. "When we were in China my old man and me went to these 'special training grounds'. Pop had bought a guidebook in Chinese cause it was cheaper but the fat idiot can't even _eat _Chinese! Properly at least. Turned out that those training grounds were the cursed grounds of Jusenkyo also known as the pools of Sorrow. There existed literally hundreds of Springs and each had their own tragic history of someone or something who or which had drowned in them. And cause they were magic springs the one unlucky enough to fall into a Spring is cursed to turn into that what drowned originally in the Spring. And ya can guess inta which Spring I fell." he said meaningful.

**  
**Mihoshi looked confused. "Um... nope, I don't get it at all!"

**  
**Ranma looked into the round with an expression that said 'Is she for real?'. Upon seeing a curtly nodding Tenchi Ranma answered the question anyway. "I fell inta the Spring of the drowned girl." he said in a slow drawl.

**  
**"Oh my!" Sasami exclaimed, "That must have been a shock for you!"

**  
**"I should think so." Ranma answered. "Well, it happened this way: Pop and me entered the 'training grounds' of Jusenkyo and it was really one. Out of the Springs I mentioned protruded bamboo poles which were obviously meant ta test ones balance while running over the course of Springs. One can say much 'bout Pop but he's a competent martial arts teacher if he does not decide ta do somethin' crazy. Pop and me are masters of balancing and we used the poles ta fight; jumping from one ta the other and trying ta dunk the other inta a Spring. All the while the guide of Jusenkyo tried ta warn us. Then I scored a hit and launched pop inta a Spring. Seconds later a giant panda emerged from the Spring! I was so shocked that I dropped me guard and pop, still enraged, ploughed me inta the Spring of the drowned girl. And suddenly I had two new and very prominent parts while another one was missing. Imagine my shock."

**  
'Other prominent part, huh?'** Washu thought, **'Well, his name _is_ Ran ma, 'wild horse'. If nomen est omen**¹ **he'll make Kasumi very happy... though I must say that they're in an unique situation with their opposite curses. A study involving those two might be called for. Just thinking about all the samples I could take and all the test results makes me giddy! And then the suggestions I could give them...' **

**  
**Had Sasami been able to hear Washu's thoughts she would probably have said 'Oh my, Washu, you're naughty!' out of general principles. Due to the fact that the little princess had no mind-reading abilities she only continued to listen to the story of Ranma's life.

**  
**Then she decided that Ranma could need a glass of water for all this talking surely made thirsty. "Be right back." she said and went to the kitchen.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma continued his story. "I had turned into my worst nightmare cause for my whole life baka oyaji had taught me that girls were weak, stupid 'n worthless. And now I turned inta a girl with just the touch of cold water or any other cold liquid! Ya know, the curse turns the cursed victim inta a water magnet and that ain't no joke! Ask Kasumi!" Ranma said and Kasumi nodded empathically. "Ya wouldn't believe the crazy cold-water-accidents I have had ever since I got the curse."

**  
**Also Tenchi nodded. "We have seen it too. It's true."

**  
**At just this moment Sasami returned with the glass of water for Ranma. "Here you go, Ranma-kun. You surely must be..."

**  
**That was as far as she got for her right foot suddenly got caught up in the carpet. As a consequence she lost her balance and stumbled and the glass of water went flying.

**  
**Naturally right at Ranma and Kasumi. An instant Ranma-onna and Kasumi-otoko later everyone except Tenchi, Katsuhito and the cursed individuals boggled. "I... see." Washu finally said. Then her eyes gleamed. "It will be most fascinating to study this curse."

**  
**Ryoko shuddered at the tone of voice her mother had used and she was glad that her… scientific interest was not directed at her Tenchi for once. Poor Ranma.

**  
**"Unbelievable!" Ayeka exclaimed. "Those accidents happen how often per week?" she asked.

**  
**The cursed martial artist snorted amused. "Better ask how often per day, Ayeka. It often happens several times a day. This is also the most stupid part of the curse. Not the changing o' forms for I'm slowly getting used ta it." she said with a loving look at Kasumi-otoko. Then she looked Ayeka in the eyes. "But the wet clothes are really annoying. And I can't use my new powers to dry myself in public. That would scare people shitless! Also, it still does not help Kasumi."

**  
**Ayeka nodded. "That would indeed make you look like an oni. No, that is not an advisable option."

**  
**Ranma who had snuggled up to Kasumi-otoko continued her tale. "Back to the story." Then she turned her head and smiled up at Kasumi-otoko. "You're comfy, you know that?"

**  
**That evoked a pleased smile from Kasumi-otoko and he began to stroke her hair. Fact that all attendees found quite cute. Especially Katsuhito was glad that Ranma seemed to have found his/her soul mate. If anyone deserved this then she.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Ryoko on her part was relieved too as she saw this as final prove that Ranma would not be a danger to her and her plans for her Tenchi. **'Hmm, it seems that Tenchi and Ranma are friends from long ago. Maybe Ranma can also become my friend aside from a sparring partner. That could better my position and real friends are hard to come by…'** she mused.

**  
**The pigtailed youth continued comfortably snuggled up to her love. "Ta take up the plot again now I was cursed ta turn into what pop had taught me to despise. A girl. Complete in body but with a guys mind. Ya know, Cologne told us some things 'bout the springs. She said that the Spring gives the cursed victim the cursed body and a... how did ya call it, Ka-kun?"

**  
**"A kind of manual how to handle the cursed body, Ra-chan." Kasumi-otoko answered. He'd taken to call Ranma-chan Ra-chan rather than Ran-chan for he knew that the pet-name 'Ran-chan' held a lot of memories for his love, and not all of them good.

**  
**The cursed martial artist on her part nodded and blew her boyfriend a kiss. "Yeah. That. And that is also why some friends of us who are cursed ta turn into animals are able ta handle the cursed bodies. Know what? Had it not been for my stupid pop and his teachings and had he not been constantly harping 'bout how weak and all around worthless girls are I would've gotten used ta the curse much earlier. I've begun to but it will still take some time until I become completely indifferent ta it."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko had refrained from scolding Ranma for her slip in language skills as this was obviously pressurising her a lot. But Ranma had to learn. "Ra-chan, try to speak more feminine. You are a girl right now so speak like one." he said and gave the crown of her hair a soft kiss.

**  
**The cursed martial artist looked sheepish. "Gomen, Ka-kun. I will try to. But this is _hard_ for me."

**  
**The cursed Tendo stroked her hair.  
"I know, Ra-chan. It is the same for me. But give it your best." he said. Then he snipped a finger. "Imagine your father and how he would react when you speak in a feminine way. What would that do to him?"

**  
**Ranma grinned. A devilish grin. "You're right. That would really drive the baka Panda up the wall, wouldn't it?. Thanks, Ka-kun. That will help."

**  
**The Masaki household had followed this exchange with interest. It was really obvious how good these two were for each other. They knew from the story that had Ranma ended up with Akane the cursed youth would probably have _never_ gotten used to his curse. But Kasumi was really what Ranma needed and obviously vice versa.

**  
**"How long have you been cursed, Ranma-chan?" Washu asked. The scientist had her recording device activated the whole time. This was interesting and maybe she could help them.

**  
**Ranma looked at Washu and chose her words carefully. All the while she imagined the fat panda with his stupid signs. "A bit more than one year now. Oh yeah and I forgot the other reason why I had no chance ta accept my curse. Another one of pops brilliant ideas that nearly blew into my face. A Seppuku contract. Turned out... it turned out that pop drew up a contract that stated I would be 'A man among men' when I returned from the training trip. If mom would not deem me worthy I had to commit ritual suicide together with pop... my father." she corrected herself.

**  
**That caused gasps all around. Again. Who would do something like that to their own child? Which father would be so immoral to come up with something like that and which mother would accept it? They could only imagine Ranma's horror when s/he had found out about the terms of the contract.

**  
**While the blood was slowly returning to the faces of the attendees Katsuhito was silently shaking his head. Why had Nodoka allowed Genma to take Ranma and why had she accepted the contract? He really could not understand how Genma could have done something like this to his own child.

**  
**"Let me get this straight." Washu said. "Your brilliant father drew up said contract that said you would kill yourself if you were not manly enough in your mothers' eyes? Heck, what is that for a load of bull rap?" she nearly yelled, and everyone shared her opinion. "Let me guess: your curse complicated the situation somewhat, eh?"

**  
**Ranma snorted, and then nodded. "You can say that again. I found out about the contract by chance. Naturally I believed Pops description of mom. I had seen her often enough in my cursed form and she was always carrying the family honour blade with her! Pop said if she knew that I was cursed to become a girl she _would_ kill us. But I doubt that the fat fool would have ever held true to his word and committed Seppuku. He has _never_ kept his word if it was not to his benefit so why should he go through with it when his life was on the line? Anyway, when mom was visiting us at the Tendos' where we were practically hiding from her I had to be Ranko Tendo, the cousin of Kasumi and her sisters. I had to hide from my own mom, the mom I had not seen for ten years! It was so damn hard and all of it because of the fat panda! Do ya know how he got me to sign the contract?"

**  
**Everyone present shook their heads. But knowing Ranma's father it was something incredibly low-down. "The idiot let me play with finger-paint and then made me finger-paint a piece o' paper. I signed a Seppuku contract with a fingerprint I playfully put on it! I was five at that time and I had no idea what I was doing! Idiot pop said that my mom would hold me to a contract I did not even remember I had signed cause I was too young! How low can ya... sorry… you… get?" she asked.

**  
**When she had corrected herself she had done what Kasumi had suggested. Imagined the fat, useless Panda. And had thought **'Grrr, throw a crying fit, stupid Panda!'**

**  
**A hushed silence had grasped the room. Obviously Genma Saotomes' idiocy knew no bounds. If the decision were up to them they would let Ranma never return to this man. After all, Ranma was a legal minor until she turned twenty and Genma could make a lot of decisions for Ranma till then; especially if he would let him/her be declared insane because of the Neko-ken. All that was needed to prove that was a bunch of cats as could be gauged from Ranma's story.

**  
**But Ranma was not finished, not by a long shot. "And pop made me believe mom would hold me to the contract and make me kill myself. I didn't remember my mom and dad knew her a lot longer than me. I had no reason to doubt him. After all, she had accepted a contract I had signed with a handprint! And cause... sorry, because of the katana it was a lot more believable. I really thought my mom would make me kill myself because of the curse. Stupid pops never said anything to the con… cont… help me a sec, Ka-kun."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled. "Contrary, Ra-chan." he said, still stroking her hair softly.

**  
**Ranma smiled in thanks. "Yeah, that. The stupid panda really made it seem as if mom would hold us to the contract. He made her seem like some kind of monster that would make us kill ourselves when she found out about the curse. But luckily mom did not hold me to it, but I _would_ have gone through with it. All that because of pops and a stupid piece of paper."

**  
**At this a lot of people gasped and Katsuhito was rather pale. Kasumi-otoko had reached out with his right hand from behind Ranma and had grasped her right hand with his while he continued to hold her with his left arm around her waist. Once again it was a nice feeling for Ranma and she really could get used to the feeling of being protected.

**  
**Gratefully smiling Ranma continued. "As I said, had mom decided that I was unmanly she would have been my second. Unlike the fat, spineless panda _I_ have honour. But in the end she said I was manly nuff even with the curse. You know why? Cause I fought stupid pops over a family treasure. The stupid idiot nearly got her killed and all that cause of his stupid greed!" she spat. Then she launched herself into a more detailed description of how her mother had found out that she was Ranko Tendo and how she had saved her mother. "But she had really strange ideas of manliness till after the wedding."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded and explained the many talks he had had with Ranma's mother and also described the views Nodoka had had on what was manly and what not. The audience soon grasped that it had been incredibly hard for the oldest Tendo sibling to change the views Nodoka Saotome had had of manliness and everyone was happy and relieved that he had succeeded. Katsuhito however looked chagrined, especially after hearing Nodoka's former definition of manliness. How had it come so far? Where had it all gone wrong?

**  
**"Wedding?" asked Mihoshi after Kasumi-otoko had ended his explanation.

**  
**Ranma looked pained once more. Then she described the failed wedding and everything up till now. When she had ended everyone was baffled once more. "You had to go through this day for day, buddy?" Tenchi asked with sympathy.

**  
**On everyone's faces one could see compassion and the more aggressive members of the Masaki household which were foremost Ryoko and Ayeka were thinking along the lines of how a panda fur would look on the wall. The rivals for the hand of Tenchi shared a look and nodded. Oh yeah, a 'goodwill visit' was indeed what the doctor had prescribed.

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Had it not been for Kasumi I'd have gone crazy. I don't even wanta think about what would've happened then." she said shuddering and then leant into her boyfriend even more. Everyone else nodded somberly. They had seen what Ranma was capable of...

**  
**-.-

**  
**After Sasami had served some cookies and tea Ranma described the situation with Akane in detail. How she had arrived in female form at the Tendo Dojo when the Tendos had expected a boy. How Akane had befriended her because the youngest Tendo had sensed that she needed a friend and how this offer had been taken back faster than Ranma could have said "Sorry 'bout this" when Akane had found out that the girl was a boy.

**  
**How Akane had screamed "PERVERT!" loud enough to shake the foundations of the house and how it had shaken Ranma to the core. She told the Masaki household that she had been cursed for two weeks at this time; that she had doubted her manhood and simply everything about herself and had seen herself as a freak. Then there had been this girl who had wanted to befriend her and had twisted this offer around like a knife in her flesh.

**  
**Ranma then described the betrayal she had felt when this girl had suddenly shunned her because she was a boy. How Akane had called her a pervert ever since then for the simplest acts and reasons or lack thereof. Granted, before Jusendo Akane had hit her less frequently, that she admitted, but everyone agreed that this had been one unhealthy relationship which might have ended in a tragedy.

**  
**The Masaki household shuddered when Ranma described in detail how Akane had reacted when she had become his fiancée and especially when she had said 'I'm better built to boot', namely with a table creamed over the head. Then Ranma described how she had been treated by Akane for the last year, how the fathers had acted, the fiancée brigade, Ryoga, Mousse, the Kunos and the rest.

**  
**How all this had changed when Nodoka had found out how Akane treated her child and how Akane had blown any chance with her forever. How Kasumi had been cursed and how everything had led up to now.

**  
**Needless to say the Masaki household was shocked; but silently every single one of them silently vowed to make them feel welcome. After what they and especially Ranma had been through they deserved peace and quiet but most of all a normal life. Well, as normal as it could be around a household of aliens.

**  
**Then Ranma related what she and Kasumi had told Tenchi and Katsuhito about how they would stay in their alternate forms for the next three months and how Ranma planned to go to school in her female form as Ránmā Saotome.

**  
**Washu nodded to herself. That made sense. After what Ranma had told them about her life she knew it had been the best decision to leave Nerima and come here. Here both Ranma and Kasumi would have the chance to get used to their curses without disturbances like Genma Saotome or the other crazies Ranma had described. Although it seemed that a permanent removal of the variable labelled Genma Saotome would be the better solution. For the world.

**  
**Not to mention that Nodoka Saotome and the other women had been right; getting away from Nerima had been the best choice. The two were on a good way already, which she could see. And all of them would help the two cursed individuals on the way.

**  
**Washu nodded to herself. Ranma needed love and friendship. Love she would get from Kasumi, in both forms. Friendship would be provided by all of them. Even by Ryoko. Though it seemed that the kind of friendly rivalry that had been formed between the two did the both of them good.

**  
**Tenchi looked at Ranma and grimaced before his face lit up. "Ranma, let me tell you something, buddy: your life in Nerima was hell, pure hell. I'm sure I would have blown up the whole place a long time ago. But now you're here and all will change for the better. Grandpa and I will help and teach Kasumi how to be a man. I'm sure the girls will show you how to be a girl, right, girls? We'll help you two." he said and smiled at his friend.

**  
**A chorus of "Rights!" echoed throughout the room.

**  
**Ranma grinned back and Kasumi-otoko smiled a likewise thankful smile. "Thanks, buddy. To all of you. We thank you." she said.

**  
**Tenchi grinned. "You're welcome. I'll be your friend as I was in our childhood and I swear on my honour that I won't betray you. Your gender does not matter in that in the least." he said with conviction and a smile. Ranma's face lit up like a nova, so brilliant was her smile. The Masaki youth had to look at Kasumi-otoko to prevent as nosebleed, so kawaii was the sight. "The same goes for you, Kasumi. We'll be your friends and we'll help you."

**  
**Mihoshi squealed with joy. "We will help you learn how to be a girl, Ranma! It will be so much fun!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Washu and even Ayeka nodded with a smile although the latter shuddered to think what Ryoko's contributions to the project might be. Inadvertedly she looked up at her rival and to say that she did not like the devilish smirk on Ryoko's face would have been an understatement.

**  
**Curiously Washu thought along the same lines. Then she nodded to herself. She'd have to have a long talk with her daughter about how to handle the situation. After all, Ranma had been through enough already and did not need more problems. The next three or more months she should concentrate on her girl training. Without interruptions if possible.

**  
**Ranma smiled into the round. It was the first heart-felt smile, except to Kasumi, in months. "Thank you, all of you. But let me get back to the story how my powers increased. It all happened after Jusendo." she said, still with a somewhat haunted look.

**  
**Tenchi wanted to say something but Ranma shook her head at him with a smile. "Its okay, Tenchi. Thanks to all of you and especially Kasumi I can now talk about it. You have all been very friendly and kind to Kasumi and me and I feel that I can trust you. It happened all after Jusendo. The place where I killed for the first time and meant to do it."

**  
**Holding Kasumi-otokos hand Ranma began to relate what had happened at Jusendo to a spell-bound audience. The full uncut truth. The call for help from Jusenkyo in the form of Plum, the daughter of the Jusenkyo guide. How they had learned of the Phoenix people. How Kiima and her thugs had battled the Nerima wrecking crew for the 'Jusenkyo Secret'.

**  
**How Shampoo had been attacked and trapped in a giant egg and then upon hatching controlled by Kiima, unbeknownst to them at this time. How Kiima had succeeded to get the complete map and had returned to Mount Phoenix with her companions and Shampoo.

**  
**How they had travelled to China and their troubles there with the onsen devil and how they had 'convinced' him to help them. How the onsen devil had later turned out to be the Phoenix King Saffron. How they had battled the Phoenix people and learned what had happened to Shampoo. How the enemy had found out about Akane and how they had abducted her from Japan to drown her in a spring.

**  
**How they had succeeded in creating the Spring by nearly drowning Akane and how Kiima had cursed herself to take Akane's shape to deceive them and that she had succeeded. How they had reached Jusendo with Plums help after they had seen Jusenkyo go dry. How Shampoo had stood guard against intruders and had fought them.

**  
**How his worthless father had fallen under Shampoo's control. How they had gotten away from Shampoo and his father. How Akane had finally escaped and how she and the others had fallen down what they later realised was a giant water pipe.

**  
**How they had literally stumbled into Saffron's arms when they emerged from this pipe and how Saffron had used him to become stronger. How Akane had been turned into a small doll. The happenings leading to Shampoo getting back to normal. How Saffron had hatched too early and how all had climaxed in the final battle. How he had stood before the decision to kill Saffron or to let Akane and the others die.

**  
**She told them about the tremendous powers Saffron had possessed including the ability to regenerate nearly instantly. How she had managed to fire a revised version of the Hiryu Shoten Ha at Saffron after a lot of tries and how it had been nearly too late so safe Akane. How she believed that she had brought Akane back to life by yelling at the heavens. That she had killed an honest to goodness god for her. And that it still had not been enough in the end.

**  
**She had said the last with so much sadness that Kasumi-otoko hugged her from behind. Smiling gratefully at her boyfriend she said "But that is in the past. Now that Kasumi 'n me have found together I can leave the past behind me. But you wanted to know how I got more powerful. Well, Cologne, the Amazon Elder I talked about thinks that I absorbed some or most of Saffron's powers when I killed him. Personally I think that she is right. Ever since I came back from Jusendo I felt this new well of power in me. I became faster, stronger 'n tougher. As you saw I have these fire-based powers and have begun to mix them into my ki-attacks. And as Katsuhito said my powers are still growing." she finished.

**  
**The others nodded somberly once more. "You have led an interesting life, Ranma. It really seems as if you are the epitome of the saying 'May you live in interesting times.'" Katsuhito mused.

**  
**Ranma snorted. "Tell me somethin' I dunno." Then she paused for a second. "You know, could you tell why all of your auras are so strange? It ain't unlike anythin' I have ever sensed before. Reminds me somehow of Saffron, though."

**  
**Multiple sweat drops ensued. It seemed as if it was time to let the cat out of the bag...

**  
**¹ Latin, means 'the name is an augury'; the meaning is that the name says a lot about a person

**  
to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	21. Truth revealed

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 21: Truth revealed**

**  
**It was Katsuhito who looked at Ranma while the other members of the Masaki household were still stunned. Silently the old Shinto Priest chided himself. He should have known that Ranma-chan would notice sooner or later what with her ability to sense auras. "Ranma, you are right when you say that our auras are not those of normal humans. Actually without the exception of my grandson Tenchi none of us are of this world."

**  
**Ranma nodded. She had suspected something like this from her scan of their auras. She had had her first clues in her fight against Ryoko when her ki had not really felt like ki from planet earth. After the fight she had had enough time to make some examinations. Their auras were simply too strange and that the members of the Masaki household were indeed aliens was the most logical explanation. To her that was not too strange to believe; not after what she'd encountered in her life.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko whereas was blown of his feet. Good thing that he was still sitting. "You mean to say that you... you are _aliens_?" he asked with wide eyes, his whole posture screaming out his disbelief. Unconsciously he reached for the hand of his girlfriend and grabbed it, clinging to it as if it was the only thing that anchored him in this reality. Ranma who was not nearly as surprised as he gave his hand a firm squeeze and jiggled closer to him in order to show him that she was there for him. Whatever would happen they would stand together. Forever.

**  
**Katsuhito nodded and consciously projected and aura of peace and candour. "Yes, Kasumi. That we are. But not what you'd actually expect from the movies." he said with a smile before sobering up again.

**  
**Tenchi butted in with a smirk before his grandfather could continue. "Don't worry you two. I'm not descended from a facehugger or something. If I were I'd probably killed myself already. But rest assured that I'd never bite my best friend or her… boyfriend even if I _were_ related to such a creature." he said with a smile; though one could hear from the tone of his voice that he was still getting used to the fact that his best childhood friend was now a very pretty girl who had another gender-changing individual as a lover. Both cursed individuals noticed this but they knew that he'd just need time to accept this reality; though it would probably be much easier for him than it had been for Ranma's mother for example.

**  
**"Though I'd not mind if he'd bite me…" Ryoko muttered quietly but loud enough to be heard.

**  
**Tenchi blushed and returned to the matter at hand with some effort. "To be honest I was as surprised as you two are now when I learned of my heritage. It was all just too overwhelming; though I got used to it after some time. But believe me the Juraians are good people." he said with conviction.

**  
**Ranma and even Kasumi-otoko had had to smile at his joke about the Gaijin movie 'Alien' and both were eager to learn more after the initial shock had worn off. Little did they two know that several more shocks would follow soon…

**  
**The old Shinto priest smiled at the two curse-victims before he continued. "Everything that I or the others will tell you is the whole truth, as incredible and impossible it may sound. So please bear with me."

**  
**Both Ranma and Kasumi nodded as the old Shinto priest paused to breathe. "It all began 700 years ago when I, at that time Yosho of the house Jurai of planet Jurai chased after the infamous space pirate Ryoko."

**  
**For a second Ranma could have sworn that Katsuhito aka Yosho had said 700 years ago. No, she must have heard wrong. Then she looked at Katsuhito, afterwards at Ryoko and then back again. "Did you say Ryoko? As in _this_ Ryoko up there?"

**  
**Said Ryoko looked sad for a moment; then she floated down to the ground and stood before where Ranma sat. "Yeah. It was me. And I want ta… ta say sorry for what I called ya. I compared ya to an asshole from my past and shouldn't have." she said and the redhead could hear how hard it was for the other girl to utter these words

**  
**To say that everyone else safe Kasumi-otoko was surprised would have been an injustice to the meaning of the word understatement. Everyone except Ranma and Kasumi-otoko had facefaulted. Ranma whereas smiled. "That's okay. No harm done." she said with a smile. "But as ya see I'm really not here to steal Tenchi from any of ya. I'm already taken." she said with an even deeper smile as she jiggled even closer to her boyfriend.

**  
**Ryoko nodded, now finally convinced that Ranma would indeed not be competition for her Tenchi; feeling relieved she sat down on the empty seat beside Ranma and made herself comfortable. Then the old Shinto Priest continued to tell his tale. "Ryoko and I crashed into the Earth and both our spaceships were destroyed in the process. After a long and tiring battle I managed to imprison Ryoko here in a cave in the Masaki shrine. After that and because my spaceship was destroyed I decided to live out the rest of my life here on Earth. I then changed my name to Katsuhito. To be honest, if a search party from Jurai ever came to investigate I wanted them to stumble upon a dead end. I know it may sound selfish but I wanted to start anew, which I did." he said.

**  
**The old Shinto priest paused to take a breath. "At first I travelled far and wide but then I met my wife and settled down; it's interesting how Fate plays for I never would've thought that I'd find the love of my life on a planet that was considered to be backwater at best. Together we had a daughter named Achika and she was the pride and joy of my life." he said and paused for a moment to gather himself again.

**  
**Despite the fact that he had good control over his emotions it still hurt Katsuhito to talk about his deceased daughter even after all this time; both Ranma and Kasumi noticed this and even the mostly clueless Ranma refrained from asking. "My daughter Achika married Nobuyuki later on, my son-in-law, and together they had Tenchi." he said with a proud smile at his grandson. "You will come to know Nobuyuki later on; at this time he's on an architects' convention or something to that effect."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko and Ranma presented warding signs. To say that both were very weirded out would have been a gross understatement. "Jurai? Spaceships?"

**  
**Then Ranma managed to sort her thoughts and gather her bearings somewhat while Kasumi-otokos' eyes were still spiralling. After all, Ranma had seen a lot of _very_ weird things in her life. Thus aliens from other planets were nothing that unbelievable. Especially when they were so nice. There was also more than enough proof in their auras. They were most definitely not human despite their looks. "And where and what is this Jurai?" she finally asked with real curiosity.

**  
**Ayeka's chest swelled with pride and she wanted to answer but Katsuhito forestalled it. _He_ would make the talk and his half-sister got the message. "Jurai is a planet some distance away and the centre of the Juraian Empire. Washu here could show you a space-chart to give you a more accurate impression. The House of Jurai is, as said, an Empire in which great power is wielded by its family members through mysterious trees, the space trees. Don't worry, I'll explain about them later." he said at seeing their looks.

**  
**Katsuhito took in a deep breath and continued the tale of Jurai. "With this power and the help of the Goddess Tsunami we Juraians have laid claim to the largest territory in the Galactic Union. While the number of planets the Juraian Empire controls is small the resources we command are tremendous. The resources of my homeworld have been invaluable for our rise to power. You see, nearly three quarters of my homeworld is covered by vegetation and species which are used for many purposes including shipbuilding and defence. As you will have guessed the vegetation of my homeworld is no ordinary one by any stretch of imagination. As for Earth, our chosen home, well Earth is included in Jurai's domain and is actually a subject planet to the Juraian Empire."

**  
**"What?" both Ranma and Kasumi-otoko exclaimed. "Earth is a subject planet of another planet!" Kasumi-otoko added.

**  
**Katsuhito nodded. "Yes, Earth was actually a colony of Jurai a long time ago; to be vaguely precise some thousand years ago. But you'll need to know more. Well, Juraian roots can be traced to long before the current intergalactic government's existence so it should not come as a surprise that we colonised Earth so long ago."

**  
**Ranma presented warding signs at that. "Inter… intergalactic government? One sec… there's an inter_galactic_ government? Holy Kami-sama… just how many alien races _are_ there in the universe?" she asked incredulous.

**  
**It was Ryoko who answered. "More than you would believe, Red." she said with a smirk.

**  
**Ayeka nodded. "But not all of them are friendly; some are downright dangerous and would love nothing more but to invade, raid and exploit planets like Earth. Needless to say that they'd kill all of Earth's population to satisfy their needs. Thus the Galactic Union was formed to protect and serve its people. Earth has not reached the technological level to become a full member as of yet and the population has yet to find out about alien life. I suspect that some of the national governments may know but Earth still has a long way to go. In my opinion it will be several hundred years before Earth will become a full member of the Galactic Union."

**  
**The cursed individuals slowly absorbed this. Kasumi-otoko who had gathered his bearings again was fascinated. "What are the criteria for full membership in the Galactic Union?"

**  
**Tenchi grinned. "As funny as that may sound, but a race that wants to become a member has at least to have developed the theoretical and practical model of a warp-drive." he said. At seeing their looks he nodded. "Yes, just like in Star Trek. Most of the technology you see there in the series actually exists. The Juraian Empire, for example, has lots of battle fleets which would make the fleet of the Federation in Star Trek pale in comparison."

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko boggled while Ayeka had a decidedly proud expression on her face. "That is why Earth is a protectorate at the moment. This planet has valuable resources and a lot of potential but it can not defend itself as of yet; you surely understand that this unfortunate situation would make it an ideal target for many of the more… dangerous races in the known universe. Which is exactly why the Galactic Union or to be more precise the Juraian Empire does just that; in essence we defend this planet from external threats. To forestall your question, our militia has stationed several cloaked battle cruisers within the solar system. Those are capable to deal with anything that should cross their path." she said with confidence.

**  
**Washu who had been listening knew differently but it made little sense to scare their guests. For should her sister Tokimi decide to take war to their doorstep to advance her own plans those ships would offer little help. She also knew that Tokimi was up to something, for she had sensed it for the longest time yet. She was also quite certain that her sister was behind the actions of Dr. Clay. But as said it would not do to worry their guests.

**  
**Katsuhito had noticed her look and resumed his tale. "Now to some historic background on the Juraians. Thousands of years ago several noble families formed a great pirate guild after losing their thrones to various parties. The first leader of this guild was an ancestor of the modern Juraians. These families slowly intermarried and adopted a more conventional lifestyle and eventually they became the House of Jurai. The _planet_ Jurai is the most powerful planet in the universe in regards of political influence and military might; at the moment, at least and as far as we know. The leaders of my home planet are basically the rulers of everything but they aren't dictators. As far as I know from my admittedly somewhat outdated experience each ruler tries to be kind and compassionate and gauging from what Ayeka has told me and from our experiences we made during the visit of our relatives they still are. Then there are the Juraian trees I mentioned and which still are a mystery to even us of Jurai. What I tell you now may be a bit much to take in but it is the full truth."

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko nodded dumbly; both were still holding hands and looked quite… overwhelmed. Earth, a former colony of another planet and now a subject planet? Oh my!

**  
**Katsuhito continued. "Where was I? Ah yes, the trees of Jurai. These trees are very special for they are a self-aware plant species found only on my home planet. They have a will and power of their own and are distinguished by generation. Tsunami, the goddess of Jurai is the origin of all trees and she is one of the most powerful beings in the universe. But I or maybe Sasami will tell you more about her later. My own tree, Funaho, is a first generation offspring. Ayeka's tree," he waved over to his half-sister "Ryu-oh is a second generation. The members of the Royal family are all partnered with trees during a special ceremony which has certain effects as enhancing their life-span to near immortality for example. The trees provide energy, keep memories and can communicate over long distances for their partners. Then there is the fact that Juraians such as me and Ayeka have special powers. But more about this later."

**  
**The cursed individuals on the couch still tried to grasp all this. "Intelligent trees? A goddess? Special powers? Oh my!" Ranma exclaimed in an eerie imitation of Kasumi.

**  
**The old Shinto Priest nodded. "If you want to you can see Funaho later. He is planted back in the garden. But now to the matters at hand. Ayeka here is my half-sister. She is also the first crown princess of the planet Jurai." Then he smiled. "She actually came to Earth because she was chasing after Ryoko who she believed had killed me. This is going to sound weird now but bear with me. I... was Ayeka's fiancé back at this time." he said with a slight smile.

**  
**At this Ranma and Kasumi-otoko boggled again. Half-sister and half-brother as fiancées?

**  
**Katsuhito saw their looks and he could not hide an amused smile for he knew exactly what they were thinking. "You must know, planet Jurai has two queens. Ayeka is the daughter of one and I am the son of the other though I am only half Juraian and half human. For Jurai family members it is not the least bit uncommon to marry each other, contrary to Earth customs. For us Juraians there is no danger of incest as our genetic structures or our DNA, to be more proficient, is adequately protected. Anyway, Ayeka was chasing down Ryoko and her spaceship was destroyed in the process which forced her to crashland on Earth. That's why she is here. At first she did not know it was me, her half-brother who was living here right before her nose under a disguise field but she eventually found out. Now she is my grandson's fiancée. Tenchi, if you want..." he said and extended his hand.

**  
**Tenchi nodded, and the cursed individuals looked at him. "Of course, grandfather." he said with a smile. "As Yosho's grandson I inherited all of his Juraian powers. In essence I am one eighth Juraian and seven eighth human. I found out about all this after I had accidentally freed Ryoko," his look promised an explanation later, "and when the girls literally came flying into this house things got really interesting. Now after several adventures and interesting turns I am a member of the Juraian royal family; and as a Juraian I also have several special powers. The most prominent is that I can create something called the 'Lighthawk Wings'. And I'll give you a demonstration later, Ranma, promised." he said at the look he saw in Ranma's eyes. "But now let me tell you something about what we went through..."

**  
**With that he began to weave the story of his life and Ranma and Kasumi-otoko had instantly the feeling that Tenchi and the others had led as interesting lives as they had, if not even more so. Finally Tenchi came to a topic that interested Ranma very much as the young man talked about what had happened with Ryoko in more detail. And the ex-space pirate cringed in anticipation of what was to come.

**  
**Tenchi noticed her discomfort and gave her an encouraging smile; then he began his story with Ryoko's attack on the planet Jurai because Kagato had wanted to capture the power of Tsunami; he also briefly mentioned that something had happened to Sasami there and then without going into details, then he detailed the battle on Jurai, the adjacent race across space which finally ended in the crash-landing on Earth. He did not have to cover more of this as Katsuhito had done this already.

**  
**Thus he then detailed his accidental wakening of Ryoko as his look had promised prior and described their first encounter. Needless to say that both Ranma and Kasumi-otoko were spellbound to hear of the adventures they had lived through.

**  
**Then came Ayeka's subsequent arrival. After that he explained how Mihoshi had come to live with them and how she had found Washu on Kagato's ship later on by sheer luck. As he talked the girls also related their own stories and how they had been involved in all this.

**  
**Tenchi talked about Kagato and his extreme powers and how he had nearly died fighting him but had been saved by Tsunami, and how he had first accessed the Lighthawk Wings and how incredible that had felt. He described the sword, the amour and the shield he had formed with the wings and promised again that a practical demonstration would follow tomorrow.

**  
**Ranma nodded but now she really wanted to know who this Tsunami, the Goddess of Jurai was. "Tenchi, you said that you'd explain about Tsunami later on but I'd really like to know about her. I know that there're Kami so I won't doubt your explanation. I've experienced so much in my life that a Goddess who protects a far away planet does not sound odd at all." she said with a smile.

**  
**The raven-haired boy looked at Katsuhito, then Washu and Sasami and all three nodded. Now was as good an opportunity as later. "Okay, Ranma. To give you the most complete picture I'll start at the beginning. You've already made your experiences with Kami as we know from your story. Tsunami is one of three Goddesses _we_ know of. Tsunami's physical form is that of a gigantic tree. We do not know if this is her original form but it is the form she appears in on Jurai. Actually Tsunami is the first generation of Jurai's battleships. All other spaceship trees including Ayeka's Ryu-Oh and Yosho's Funaho are descendents from Tsunami. As with all other spaceship trees Tsunami has a key. This key is only given to Juraian royalty. Tsunami's key is called Tenchiken and is the sword which I own and guard with my life. Because this key comes from the first generation tree it can control other spaceship trees and has been given the name "The Master Key". Anyone from the Juraian Royal Family can use the key to override control over any other spaceship tree. Even if somebody else is using the tree's key." he said and paused to take a breath.

**  
**"Tsunami is very powerful and she has a great amount of love for the Juraian people. With her watching over the Empire the Juraians they have ascended to the most powerful empire in the galaxy as you already learned. The Juraians even cultivate trees made from the seeds of Tsunami to make their spaceship trees; very powerful ones I might add. The children of Tsunami's power are only rivalled by the power of our little Ryo-Ohki here."

**  
**Both Ranma and Kasumi-otoko looked at the little cabbit with their brows in their hairlines; Ryo-Ohki who was enjoying a petting by Sasami looked decidedly smug. The little Princess looked at them and smiled and both cursed individuals smiled back before looking at Tenchi again. Smiling too he continued. "Ryo-Ohki is much more than she seems to be. Originally she has been created by our resident genius Washu; our little Ryo-Ohki here has the ability to turn into a real live spaceship, and one of the strongest in the entire galaxy to boot. Basically she has all the functions the spaceships in the sci-fi series have… laser, rockets, shields and so on. But back to Tsunami and the tree ships. An average spaceship tree has three Lighthawk Wings. Tsunami whereas has ten; this is why she is the flagship of the Juraian Empire. However she is not under the command of a Juraian captain. The closest thing to a commander that she has is Sasami. And that is for a reason. If you want, Sasami…"

**  
**The little Princess looked up from her activity and nodded. From one moment to the next her whole posture seemed much more mature than should be possible and both Ranma and Kasumi were astounded at the transformation. "As Tenchi said something happened when Ryoko attacked Jurai. All without her free will! Both Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki had been forced to attack Jurai so that Kagato could get his hands on Tsunami's power. During the heat of the battle I was staying in the garden where the spaceship trees were being grown. A battleship outside was shot down and crashed into the building. All I remember is that I was knocked off the platform and I knew for certain that I was falling to my death." she said with emotions visible on her face.

**  
**The else so cool and regal Ayeka drew her closer, not caring how that looked. All that she wanted was to comfort her younger sister and to hell with the protocol. Sasami was very thankful and moments later she had calmed down enough to continue her tale. "While I was lying there with mere moments left in this life some of my blood entered an irrigation canal that was connected to Tsunami. She sensed somehow that my life was fading and Tsunami used her power to assimilate me into herself. The result was that Tsunami, the Goddess of Jurai and I became one being. I know that may sound confusing but until I have matured enough we will remain two separate entities. But Tsunami is with me, always." she finished with a smile. "She also can't wait to meet you in person, Ranma. She likes you." she said with a giggle.

**  
**Ranma on her part smiled weakly. "I only hope that my next meeting with a Kami goes better than the last…" she muttered quietly.

**  
**Katsuhito decided to carry on with the conversation; in his book Ranma and Kasumi were worthy to know everything. "The bonding with Sasami also had an unforeseen side-effect. It gave Tsunami a physical body. Like Ryo-Ohki she can switch from tree- or ship-form to her physical form at will. Only a select few know this and we who know keep it a secret."

**  
**Both Ranma and Kasumi exchanged a look and nodded. "We'll keep all of your secrets and swear on our honour that we won't betray your trust." the redhead said for the two of them while the oldest Tendo child affirmed this with a nod.

**  
**Tenchi smiled. "We know that, you two. If you had not been trustworthy we would have known. But back to the story. As said, Tsunami can form ten wings of the Lighhawk. I promised you a demonstration what my three wings can do and after that you'll have an idea just how powerful Tsunami really is. Then there're the two other Goddesses. Washu, if it's okay with you…"

**  
**The redheaded scientist smiled. "Thanks for trying to spare my feelings Tenchi but I'll cover my part of the story myself. In order to understand things properly let me recite an old scroll of Jurai to you: 'In the beginning, there were three goddesses of the planet Jurai. The eldest was Tokimi, given to the Darkness. The youngest was Tsunami, bound to the ways of the Light. The middle goddess was inclined to both the Light and the Dark, and, thus, was the most human of the three. This goddess' name was Washu.' Yes," she said at noticing the looks Kasumi and Ranma were giving her, "I am or was a Goddess."

**  
**"Was?" Ranma asked.

**  
**Washu nodded. "As I found out some time ago I sealed my memories and powers away on my own decision a long time ago and decided to live as a human. I won't go into the details but some very bad things happened to me over time and I decided that the body of a child would suit me better. You have already heard that I had been trapped by Kagato, who was my former apprentice on the science council. Sadly I never noticed his true colours and the bastard, excuse my language, managed to trap me within one of my own inventions, a large crystal within the mirror dimension of Soja, Kagato's ship, which I had ironically invented myself, too. I was only released by chance when Mihoshi here," at that the blonde smiled cutely, "accidentally released me from my prison. Ever since then I have been living here and enjoy being the most creative genius scientist in the universe." she finished.

**  
**Unsurprisingly Ranma and Kasumi-otoko were awed. "Wow! I'd never have thought." the redhead exclaimed and her love nodded his assent. "The stories of your lives are really more enthralling than many a fantasy book I read." he added.

**  
**The members of the Masaki household smiled at this. They had indeed not lived normal lives, that was for sure. Tenchi grinned once more at Ranma before he sobered up again. Then he explained the events with Zero and Dr. Clay without going into the details too much. Finally he told them about the visit of the Juraian royalty. "And for the next year or so not much happened; we had the occasional smaller incident but nothing really major." he concluded.

**  
**"Wow!" was all Ranma could exclaim when Tenchi had ended and Kasumi-otoko could only nod. "Your life has been as crazy as mine but the stakes have never been so high in my case. I never had to fight people who wanted to blow up planets! Granted Saffron probably could have but he never wanted to!"

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded. "I would say 'Oh my' if that were not unmanly. So you are a Princess, Sasami?" he asked the little girl. That bit of information had been related through Tenchi while he had explained things.

**  
**Sasami set up her most regal face. "Yes, I am Sasami Jurai, the second crown Princess of the planet Jurai. Daughter to Azusa, the King of Jurai and Misaki, the Queen of Jurai. Sister to Ayeka. Of course everyone is awed by the magnificence of my presence..."

**  
**Then she could not keep up the façade any longer and erupted into helpless giggles which soon infected the whole room. After she had control of her breathing once more Ranma exclaimed "C'mere, you!" and playfully lunged at Sasami who ran away giggling. Seconds later Ranma had captured Sasami and was playfully tickling the younger girl, laughing freely all the while.

**  
**Everyone smiled at the carefree display; most of all Kasumi-otoko who just loved to see his Ranma act so light-hearted. Even though he missed Nerima and his family it _had_ been the right decision to come here. Here Ranma could be just herself and would actually have the chance to find herself.

**  
**In Nerima everyone had a certain picture and assumptions of his love but here she could have a fresh start. Here in Okayama she would hopefully have the occasion to be a normal teenager for once. Granted, as far as a super-powered martial artist could pass as a normal teenager. But a weak ago Ranma would never have been so outgoing; it was an indicator that the stress she had been under was slowly ebbing away. It really seemed as if things were slowly looking up; in Kasumi's book it was about time, too.

**  
**Seconds later Sasami had conceded defeat and Ranma helped the younger girl to her feet. Then the little princess engulfed the larger girl in a hug. "That was fun, Ranma-chan!" the little girl exclaimed.

**  
**The cursed martial artist smiled. "I am honoured, your highness." she said and dropped a curtsy just like she had seen someone do on some occasion some time ago on the TV in some royal ceremony.

**  
**Needless to say the whole room erupted in laughter again when Sasami looked down on Ranma in a patronising way. Afterwards Ranma and Sasami sat down again and smiled at each other. Kasumi-otoko ruffled his girl-friends hair and gave her a kiss while Sasami played with Ryo-Ohki.

**  
**Finally Katsuhito looked at the young cursed individuals. "Now you know our stories. What do you say?"

**  
**Ranma just shrugged. "Not stranger than what I have come to know. Heck, I have fought an immortal Phoenix god! Aliens are not too unbelievable after that. As for the other part about Goddesses and space-ships and stuff… we'll need some time to get used to that. But after what I have seen of you, Ryoko, and after looking at your auras I am sure that you told us the truth. To be honest I actually felt that something was different in my fight with you, Ryoko. The ki you used felt… different." she said and the cyan-haired woman nodded. "I can say that I trust you and I am sure that Kasumi does too." Ranma said while looking at Kasumi-otoko who nodded. "We will keep it a secret, this I swear on my honour as a martial artist!"

**  
**Kasumi-otoko nodded. "What my love said is right. I admit that I am very surprised at those revelations but Ranma is right. After what we have come to see in Nerima aliens are nothing unexpected. Especially when they are so nice aliens. I, too, swear on my honour that I will keep your secret."

**  
**The members of the Masaki household looked relieved and happy. One look at those two showed that they could be trusted, and they were more than happy to have them here. "Welcome to the Masaki family, Ranma, Kasumi!" Tenchi exclaimed and everyone cheered.

**  
**After they had all settled down again Washu piped up. "After all that you two have heard I am sure that it is enough for one day. But you should know the full story of my daughter, Ryoko. She is the same Ryoko Yosho here," she pointed at Katsuhito, "chased to Earth where they both crashed. Know however that she did not act of her own free will at that time. You have heard how Yosho imprisoned my daughter here in the Masaki Shrine. At this time she was under the control of Kagato who was one of the most dangerous pirates in existence. There and then she was heartless, rampaging, violent and committed a lot of atrocities. All not of her own free will." she said and paused for breath.

**  
**"When Yosho here captured and imprisoned her it also broke her free of Kagato's will. 700 years later Tenchi here released her, even if unwittingly. All the crimes she has committed are now time-barred and you can believe me when I tell you that she deeply regrets what she did under Kagato's control." At this Ryoko nodded very forcefully. "Even though she did not know what she did and could do nothing to stop it there is not one day that she does not wish to have the power to undo what she did." Washu finished.

**  
**Now Ryoko who was very thankful that her mother had told her story for her was anxiously awaiting the reactions of the two newcomers. She feared that they would reject her but this fear evaporated at the facial expression of Ranma.

**  
**For said Ranma looked angry. And to the surprise of Ryoko, not at her. "Excuse my language, Ka-kun, but what kind of bastard was this Kagato to use Ryoko this way? She is an intelligent being and no freakin' toy! What a heartless bastard! Good riddance ta bad rubbish I'd say!" she exclaimed and looked directly at Ryoko. "Ya know ya made me a bit mad what with the insults ya threw at me but believe me when I say that yer're no monster. I fought those and yer're much too nice ta be one."

**  
**Ryoko hardly noticed how her own face lit up in a smile. She had not only been not rejected but Ranma had defended her and taken her position! "T… thanks, Red." she said in an uncharacteristic bout of emotionality before switching back to her jovial mask. "Yer're not so bad either."

**  
**Ranma smiled. "You're welcome. But I'm still gonna whoop your ass in our next match!" she exclaimed with a smile.

**  
**Ryoko got up too and mirrored the smile. "You wish, Red. It will be me who's gonna whoop yer ass!"

**  
**"We're gonna see about that, demon woman." Ranma countered. At seeing Ryoko's surprised look she elaborated. "That's my nick for you." she said playfully.

**  
**Ryoko nodded with a slight smirk.  
"Demon woman, huh? Well I'd say that fits me." she stated and patted Ranma on the back. "But don't expect this Demon woman ta hold back on ya." she teased.

**  
**The redhead smirked at her. "Don't expect me to either. I'm gonna pound ya so bad the last match will look like a walk in the park." she exclaimed.

**  
**Both women then smirked at each other; Ryoko had decided for herself that Ranma's stay at the house could indeed be fun. Finally she'd have someone against whom she wouldn't have to hold back against. And she still had the one or the other trick up her sleeve she hadn't used against Ranma in their first fight. Oh yes this was going to be a world of fun the cyan-haired woman thought with a mischievous smirk.

**  
**Ranma had reached the same conclusion; she would not say that they were friends (Kami-sama forbid!) but Ryoko would definitely be someone she'd trust to guard her back in a battle. Oh yes their stay at the Masaki's could prove to be fun indeed.

**  
**Kasumi on his part was glad that the initial tension between Ranma and Ryoko seemed to have evaporated. If he was to hazard as guess the relationship between the two could develop quite like the one Ranma and Ryoga shared; but without the hate the fanged boy had felt for Ranma. This stage had luckily been overcome already in Ryoko's case.

**  
**That his Ranma was always so forgiving and had a heart of gold surely helped and in this case it could and probably would lead to a lasting friendship or at least comradeship in the future. He had seen how Ryoko had reacted when Ranma had commented upon Kagato; the cyan-haired girl had been very relieved for she had apparently expected that they and especially Ranma, a fellow warrior would reject her because of her past.

**  
**Kasumi mused that those two might be good for each other; it was obvious that both his love and Ryoko had been through a lot so maybe they could help each other to overcome the gruelling experiences they had each respectively made in the past. The oldest Tendo sibling knew that there were some things in Ranma's past she did not want to talk about as of yet but maybe the influence of Ryoko could help and vice versa.

**  
**In his opinion it would be worth it; even if it would probably involve some kind of rivalry too. Though he mused that this could indeed be a healthy kind of rivalry which could and probably would drive both warriors to motivate each other to become better.

**  
**Ayeka smiled at Ranma. "Believe when I say that I know what you mean when you said she made you mad. She can be a real pest at times but I have to admit that she has redeemed herself."

**  
**Ryoko was very surprised at hearing this from her rival while every other member of the Masaki household nodded. Washu on her part was very relieved although she did not show it. Neither Ranma nor Kasumi seemed to see her daughter as a monster and that was a great relief. All the more reason to accept two such nice individuals as Ranma and Kasumi into their midst. She had however a question for the cursed individuals.

**  
**Before she could ask however Ranma suddenly remembered something. "One sec... did you say _700 years_ ago or did I just hear wrong? _700_ years? And I only _thought_ I had heard Katsuhito wrong! I know that Cologne and Happosai are over 300 years old but Ryoko does not look older than 17! And you Katsuhito do not look older than 60! How is that possible?" she asked.

**  
**Ryoko smirked. "I had the right diet!" she joked.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko looked as surprised as he began to grasp this. It was Washu who answered once more. "We all are much older than we look, Ranma. Except for Tenchi. You know that I am or was a Goddess; but what you don't know is that I locked my powers and memories away over 20,000 years ago. Yes," she said at their stares, "I am over 20,000 years old. Still looking good, eh?" she said with a smirk.

**  
**Unsurprisingly Ranma and Kasumi-otoko presented warding signs and Washu waited until they had rejoined reality before she continued. "We wanted to break this gently to you but now that you found out it's time for the whole truth. I am over 20,000 years old and can take on the body of a 12 year old. This," a transformation and a very hot and adult looking Washu later, "is my adult form; I'll explain more about it tomorrow. Yosho or Katsuhito as he is known now is over 2,000 years old, Ayeka here over 700, Sasami too and Ryoko is over 5,000 years old. It is a complex and controversial topic that is connected with Juraian genes and the space trees but as it is a very intricate matter and it is already late we will leave it there for now."

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko slowly rewinded their jaws. "O...kay." both said still presenting warding signs. _This_ was really a lot to take in.

**  
**When the two cursed individuals had calmed down somewhat again Washu asked the question she had wanted to ask. "Ranma, Kasumi," she began, and once she had the attention of both continued, "when do you plan to lock yourselves into your cursed forms?"

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi-otoko looked at each other. "We planned to do it first thing tomorrow. Kasumi and I both want to spend another night in our birthforms before we'll lock ourselves in our alternate forms for three months. Tomorrow it will take just a shower and the soap and we will both be locked for ten days. As we have three soap bars each they'll last for roughly a month. After that we will have to contact Cologne so she can send us our order."

**  
**Washu nodded as did the others. It was reasonable to start as soon as possible; the earlier they would get used to their curses the better. Although it seemed that thanks to each other they had already started to and made good way already. "Yet another question. How long have you been female already, Ranma? And how will you contact Cologne?"

**  
**Ranma smiled sheepishly. Now she knew exactly what Washu was getting at, thanks to the talk. "I have been in female form for mostly two weeks now, on and off. So I will start my time in about two weeks, I suppose. Yes," she said at their looks, "I already got the 'talk'. My mother gave it to me after she learned that my useless pop had never told me what happens when boys 'n girls grow up. We also found out that the cycle stays the same regardless if we are in male or female form. Kasumi just had her monthlies and they came at the same time as they always do. As for Cologne, it would be really cool if you had a wlan-hotspot so that we could check our mail. We have her e-mail-address but we had no occasion to stop and check our mail as of yet."

**  
**Washu just wanted to respond but Ayeka's cry of outrage interrupted her. "What! Your father _never_ told you what would happen? He never gave you the 'talk' but rather withheld such vital information from you? Even _after_ you were cursed to become a girl? You could have started your time at any given time in China and what would have happened _then_? I can only speak for Jurai but on Jurai girls get the 'talk' early enough to take away any fear this sudden and important development could cause. I can only imagine the horror of a boy that is cursed to turn into a girl who then gets her first period! And knows nothing about it! _Where_ does your father live again in Nerima?" she asked with an edge to her voice.

**  
**The pigtailed girl smiled. It was nice that the others cared for her. Outside from Kasumi and her mother she had not experienced much care in the past and it was a nice feeling. "No, he _never_ told me anything; _especially_ not after I turned into a girl. He _hated_ it and I think I now begin to understand why. My cursed form reminds him of my mother as I have a very strong resemblance to her in my female form. And for some reason he is afraid of her. But if I _had_ started in China I would probably have died! Of embarrassment and confusion. Only good that I never stayed a girl long enough to start. Now I am at least somewhat prepared. Horribly nervous but at least I know what to expect." she said in a tone that told the others that she doubted that she'd start at all. Then Ranma smirked. "And as for where the useless panda lives I'll gladly note down the address. Only promise me not to destroy anything. Also let him live so that he can be educated a bit further about just how weak women _really_ are." she finished sarcastically.

**  
**Nobody had noticed Katsuhito flinch when Ranma had said that she had a strong resemblance to her mother for Katsuhito actually knew that to be true. But he could not say anything. Not yet. First Ranma had to settle down and get used to the curse or everything would be too much at once.

**  
**Ayeka and Ryoko smiled evilly and the present females nodded. Good! Ranma had at least had the 'talk'. That was a start. Meanwhile Kasumi-otoko looked at the members of the Masaki-household. "As one born a female I can assure you that it _is_ the same on Earth. Normally girls are told by their mother or an aunt what to expect when they are about to start their first period. I say normally but that was also not the case with me. When my mother died and I started five years later I had to find out by myself. And as you will have guessed, Ranma's father was and is sorely lacking in a lot of categories. Sadly."

**  
**Now that was the understatement of the century. Genma Saotome and only sorely lacking? The man was more like a complete and utter failure in apparently everything beside martial arts. And even there he'd more than royally screwed up! Mihoshi for her part beamed at Ranma. "Oh, it will be so much fun, Ranma-chan! Tomorrow we will go shopping for you! You'll need tons and tons of new stuff!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Said Ranma face-faulted once more. Oh great, a shopping trip. Just what she needed. With a sigh she plopped back into the pillows of the couch. The Kami apparently really got a kick out of making her life difficult…

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	22. The calm before the storm

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 22: The calm before the storm**

**  
**It was once more a beautiful morning at the Masaki house which was sitting peacefully at the outskirts of Okayama. The sun was gradually warming the air, birds were twittering in the nearby forest and the air was quiet and peaceful.

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi had slept very well in their separate beds in the second story. Although their relationship was progressing fast both had found it improper to share a single bed as of yet; aside from using it to smooch the live from the other during an activity widely known as making out of course.

**  
**Even though they had slept together in a single tent already they still believed that it would be more proper to wait with sleeping in the same bed until they were at least engaged. The counter-argument to the fact that they'd shared a single tent before already had been that they had used two different sleeping bags there and then. Or so they tried to tell themselves.

**  
**Thus they had slept in different rooms but none of them had gone to sleep before engaging in an all-around enjoyed make-out session. As they had a lot of feelings for each other it had taken quite some time until they had just been content with being snuggled up to each other.

**  
**After all, both wanted to enjoy cuddling with the other in his/her birth form for a last time for three (or maybe more) months; and boy _had_ they enjoyed doing so. Sure, making out in their alternate forms was probably just as good and intense, but it still did feel a tiny bit better to make out in their birth forms.

**  
**Both were however very careful not to go too far; their inherent sense of honour helped in this regard. A lot. As well Ranma as Kasumi did not want to have intercourse before they were wed or had at least proposed, and even then they would only have sex with protection. It was simply too early for a child. First their financial future had to be ensured, as much as that would probably sadden auntie Saotome. There was also the matter to solve the remaining messes Genma had left for Ranma to clear. And those were still quite a few.

**  
**The cursed martial artist had returned to his own room stealthily some hours after they'd disappeared into Kasumi's room, for it had just felt too wonderful how Kasumi had lain in his arms after they had finished smooching the life out of each other.

**  
**Ranma on his part enjoyed that he had not been woken up the same way as nearly any other time for more than one year: with a bucket of cold water to the face or a throw into the koi-pond. Undisturbed sleep really did wonders and he actually felt… relaxed. Lying under the covers of his bed he mused to himself that he could get used to waking up this way; the only thing missing to make it perfect would have been his Kasumi. But that would come in due time.

**  
**Lying with his arms crossed behind his head Ranma mused about the changes that had happened to his life; most were changes for the better. Today these changes would culminate for today would be the day when they would lock themselves in their cursed forms. For three months. Ranma could barely believe it. In former times he would have fought tooth and nail before he would have let himself be locked in his cursed form. Weird how ones outlook on things could change.

**  
**Anyway, now he was planning to do it of his own free will, and he had told Kasumi last night that he found this change in attitude in himself quite astounding. With a smile he had said that it must be her influence on him and her attitude towards the curse that was rubbing off on him, for she was making admittedly very good progress at adapting to her curse. Granted she did not have a stupid panda harping at her all the time or a downright idiotic Seppuku pledge hanging over her head but her acceptance of the situation was nonetheless inspiring.

**  
**When Kasumi was in guy-form he would always try to speak as masculine as possible, not exaggerated, but normal. And slowly Ranma began to believe that what Cologne had said was true. The curse obviously really included a manual how to handle the cursed body, including specific speech patterns and other stuff; this manual obviously really helped a curse victim to adapt if one did not fight the curse the whole time.

**  
**Ranma had noticed it himself when he had been in his female form on and off for nearly over two weeks now. Without the constant harpings from pop and without the need to be manly at all events it was much easier to get used to the curse and its effects; sometimes being a girl had even bordered on fun with Kasumi around. The speech patterns had become progressively more feminine, but Kasumi had been right in the regard that Ranma didn't need to fear becoming a giggling school-girl.

**  
**It was the personality that played a decisive role, and Ranma Saotome's personality was primarily male. It was beginning to balance itself with his feminine side, and maybe it would reach equilibrium in the end, become a true blend of male and female; even if he would not admit that to anyone, lest of all to himself as of yet. Ranma could however not deny that he had begun to travel the road that would eventually lead to acceptance and ultimately equilibrium.

**  
**Satisfied that one of his greatest fears would not come to pass he went to the bathroom. Few moments later he was enjoying the feeling to pee standing for the last time for three months. Girls _could_ pee standing, but it was not advisable. That he had found out in China, as he had told Kasumi. And it was really something he would miss. But he had already come to terms with the different way of plumbing in the past and he accepted the challenge to face his femininity; he would simply be the very best girl he could be and try to enjoy it.

**  
**But never, never ever would Ranma Saotome wear pink as a girl! Sooner hell would freeze over and pigs would learn how to fly under their own power. Ab-so-lute-ly not! And come there hell or high water, no one, not even Kasumi or Sasami would be able to convince Ranma Saotome to wear pink. Never!

**  
**Once he was finished in the bathroom and had checked Kasumi's room to find her already gone Ranma dressed and went downstairs, sniffing the air and smelling a beautiful aroma. Breakfast! Yummy! This aroma made him almost forget the 'threat' Mihoshi had uttered yesterday. Brr, a shopping trip. **'Meh, better concentrate on nice things…'** Ranma thought.

**  
**Tuning out his thoughts about dreadful shopping-trips he concentrated on the heavenly aroma that permeated the air. Unsurprisingly it was a Ranma with an already watering mouth that entered the kitchen, and he found that Kasumi was already sitting at the table, apparently enjoying a cup of Darjeeling tea.

**  
**As soon as she saw him she graced him with a dazzling smile, a smile that he returned in kind. "Good morning, love." "Good morning, Kas-chan."

**  
**Ranma went to the chair where Kasumi was sitting, wished Sasami a "Good morning!" in the process, which she returned in kind and with a smile, and with a smile of his own he stood behind Kasumi. He then bent down, leant forward and gave her a soft kiss on the mouth, while his left hand stroked her left shoulder.

**  
**After they had finished the kiss Sasami smiled from her position at the stove and wiggled a finger at them. "You two are naughty, you know that?" the blue haired girl said teasingly.

**  
**The pigtailed martial artist gave his girlfriend a mischievous smile. "What do you think, honey? Does she want one too?" he asked fake-innocently and with a thoughtful expression.

**  
**Kasumi returned the smile in kind. It was so good to see her Ranma act so carefree. Thus she decided to play along. Besides it was good to give in to her own mischievous nature and here she did not have to pretend to be the oblivious person she pretended to be at home. Here she could act as she was. "Maybe she feels left out. I guess there is only one way to find out, love."

**  
**As soon as a wickedly smirking Ranma set himself in motion into Sasami's direction the little Princess shrieked and bolted from the room, while Kasumi and Ranma were united in helpless laughter once Ranma had ceased his attempts to follow Sasami.

**  
**It felt so good to give into ones mischievous nature without having to fear repercussions like in Nerima. And Sasami's face had simply been too funny. With a smile Ranma sat down at the table and began his breakfast while Kasumi took over Sasami's position at the stove in order to finish the next round of pancakes.

**  
**A minute or so later Katsuhito entered the room, wearing a confused expression. He was shortly followed by Tenchi, who looked just as confused. "What the hell was that?" he silently mumbled to himself. "Strange..."

**  
**Katsuhito nodded. "The behaviour in this house gets stranger and stranger. Oh, good morning, you two."

**  
**Ranma and Kasumi smiled at each other; the young woman had just finished serving them pancakes and was sitting beside her beloved who was still busy stuffing his face. The two curse victims shared a look; they knew with a high probability just who Katsuhito and Tenchi had encountered. "Good morning, Tenchi. Good morning Grandfather Katsuhito." they said in unison. "Was there anything out of the ordinary?" Kasumi asked with a straight face that Ranma admired and envied to equal parts. Obviously he should never play poker against his girlfriend, or he'd become a pauper. Rapidly.

**  
**Katsuhito shook his head to indicate that it was nothing important. "It was just that Sasami came running from the room as I was about to enter it. And she had a pretty scared expression on her face."

**  
**Now Ranma could not hold the laughter in any more. After he had gasped for breath he looked at Katsuhito with a smirk. "It was just a practical joke we played on her. She saw us kissing and called us naughty, and thus we played her and let it seem so as if I wanted to give her a kiss too. Sorry 'bout this."

**  
**The old Shinto Priest nearly fell over laughing. At any rate, he had to sit down and held his sides. As had Tenchi. "Heh heh, that serves her right. She just loves to catch people doing something 'naughty' as she calls it, and then she teases them with it. Excellent how you turned the tables on her. That was quick thinking, buddy. And I'm sure she'll have calmed down fast enough and will realise that you only played her." the young man said.

**  
**Ranma nodded. Katsuhito, Tenchi, Kasumi, he and Ayeka plus Ryoko, who had joined them a while later, finished their breakfast talking about what Ranma had told them yesterday. And for the first time since long Ryoko and Ayeka were not fighting over Tenchi, as each woman was presently busy planning how to torture a certain panda. Maybe they should ask Washu for some more elaborate torture manuals? Considering her well of knowledge and her access to information that should be easy…

**  
**Tenchi, Ayeka, Ryoko and Katsuhito were however suitably impressed when Ranma explained some of the techniques he had learned in detail, and especially Washu, who had joined them for a cup of tea listened with interest. Her resolve grew. She had to get Ranma into her lab. And she was sure that she had the right bait to do so.

**  
**Ranma had looked very interested when she had promised them to take a look at their curses to see if she could do anything to help them, and she'd love to do it as it presented her genius mind with a challenge. The other data she'd collect during the examination was of course absolutely secondary. Of course.

**  
**Ryoko's resolve also grew. She'd have to get Ranma into a real sparring match instead of a brawl, and she'd love to fight him/her at full power once again. If what Ryo-Ohki had told her was true, and her cabbit had never been wrong before Ranma would be able to take what she could dish out; including all the other tricks and techniques she had in store. And if she had read Ranma correctly, the youth would not refuse a real sparring match. Too bad that they'd both been too tired to engage in one yesterday.

**  
**Finally Ranma looked up from the remains of his breakfast and clasped into his hands. "So, now I'll take a shower with the soap and lock myself. From now on three months as a girl. Say bye-bye to Ranma. Soon you'll have three months of Ránmā."

**  
**Kasumi nodded. "I'll do the same. Soon you'll have to call me Yoshiro. You can take the shower first, love. I'll remain at the table." she said with an encouraging smile.

**  
**The cursed martial artist smiled back at his girlfriend. "That is a nice offer, Kas-chan, but right now, _you_ are the lady. So you get to use the shower first."

**  
**Tenchi was about to say that they had more than one shower, but Washu was faster. "Oh Ranma, that would be the perfect opportunity for us to take a look at your curse before you lock yourself. I am quite certain that the curse will behave differently while locked. And it would be illogical to waste three months of possible research. The only thing I have to do is to examine you in both forms. From the data I could extract I would soon be able to tell you if it is possible to remove the curse completely or if I am at least able to improve your situation at all. Imagine, maybe it is not even necessary to get used to your alternate forms if I can cure you. But don't get your hopes up just yet, it might be as your friend Cologne said. Maybe there is _really_ no cure. But isn't it worth a try?" she asked.

**  
**From the gleam that had appeared in Ranma's eyes everyone could tell that Washu had pushed just the right buttons. And Tenchi began to pray for his poor friend. Another one lost to the clutches of Washu and her lab of doom. How sad! Ranma's answer only served to confirm his fears. "Okay, Lil' Washu. It's worth a shot. Let's go to your lab."

**  
**The grin that appeared on Washu's face could only be described as ecstatic. She _had_ managed to convince Ranma! Little Washu barely suppressed insane scientist laughter # 127 and limited herself to a pleased grin. "Then come and follow me, Ranma. I promise it won't hurt." **'Much.'** she added mentally.

**  
**Ranma turned to Kasumi and gave her a kiss, while everyone else had shuddered. Ryoko shook her head sadly. And again another victim was lead up to the gallows… eh, into her mother's lab. "Maybe you should wait until we have the results, Kas-chan. It might be that there ain't no need to lock ourselves. Wouldn't it be great to be uncursed again?" Ranma asked.

**  
**Kasumi nodded. "Although I don't mind the curse that much any more it _would_ be nice. I'll wait."

**  
**Washu smiled slyly. "Maybe it would be a good idea if I could take a look at your curse after I'm through with Ranma. You know, to have some comparative data."

**  
**Ryoko shot her a look that clearly said 'Be satisfied with one victim and leave it at that.' which was countered by Washu with a 'Who? Me? I'm only trying to help here.'

**  
**The oldest Tendo sibling whereas nodded. "That might be a good idea, Washu-chan. I'll be waiting here."

**  
**The diminutive scientist nodded and set herself in motion towards her lab-entrance. Ranma blew his girlfriend another kiss and followed Washu, unsure of what to expect. Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko looked after Ranma, hoping that he/she would still be the same after the exam…

**  
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**  
**The pigtailed youth followed Washu to another section of the basement, asking himself where in this giant complex that was the Masaki house it could be. As far as he knew, the house had never housed a lab before, and the way Washu had talked about it the lab seemed to be quite big.

**  
**But _where_ was it? It couldn't be in the cellar, he knew that the cellar was not big enough. Suddenly he was raised from his musings when Washu stopped right before an unassuming looking door. "That? _That_ leads to your lab? But... but we're in the basement! How can your lab be in the _basement_?"

**  
**Washu just smirked and opened the door. What appeared was something that looked like a portal. A black portal. "You must learn one thing in this household, Ranma. As with our true age, nothing is what it appears to be."

**  
**"Umm... what _is_ this and where does it lead?" he asked worriedly.

**  
**Smirking continued. "This is one of my inventions. I could bore you with scientific details you would probably not understand, but I'll spare you. Now step through the portal. It is not dangerous."

**  
'_Not_ dangerous?'** Ranma thought, **'What with my luck I can end up everywhere in the universe. Knowing my luck I'll probably appear in the bedroom of Kodachi. Yeah, that's _exactly_ what I'd need. Kodachi chasing her Ranma-sama. #Shudder#'**

**  
**But as Ranma Saotome didn't fear nothing he stepped bravely though the portal, and into what he thought, his doom. What he did not expect was to reappear in a large multi-story room with trees. He'd expected a lot, but _not_ to land in something right out of a sci-fi movie.

**  
**Ranma looked around and whistled appreciatively. This place was _huge_! Alone the room he had appeared in impressed him immensely with its width and openness. He looked around to look for the door, but it had apparently disappeared. Odd.

**  
**Suddenly Washu appeared before him. The diminutive scientist had stood in the background and had smiled a silent smile as Ranma had taken in the sight. It was always upraising when someone admired your work. "Glad that you like it, Ranma. But you have seen nothing yet. This is just the entry level of my lab, alongside with my primary workspace. It is also the only place from where we can exit the lab. And the whole lab-complex is a lot bigger than just that here. But from here within the lab and only from here I can create doors into every area of my lab." she said and just did that.

**  
**On the opposite wall of the room another unassuming door appeared apparently out of nowhere. Ranma was quite awed and not a little curious. "How did ya do that? And where does this door lead?"

**  
**Washu smirked. "It would be too complicated to explain the working principles of quantum mechanics and subspace engineering and how I used my genius to apply their use to suit my ends to you. As for where this door leads... well, to the medical wing of my lab. If you'd follow me."

**  
**The Saotome youth boggled. Quantum-whazzit? Subspace-what? That was decidedly too high for him. He had not come this far in Physics until now, and he doubted that he would _ever_ proceed far enough to grasp the concepts Washu was obviously applying to suit her needs.

**  
**Shrugging he did what Washu had asked of him and followed her through the door. He stepped into the vortex, and moments later he appeared in another room. A room that very much looked like the sickbay from one of those sci-fi series.

**  
**Washu smirked slightly when she noticed his look. "I have redecorated a bit, and I'm quite proud of the outcome."

**  
**Ranma nodded absently as he looked over the medical section. What he saw really seemed to originate from a sci-fi movie. To see equipment like that in reality was awesome an unreal. In an awed whisper he said "Man, this place is awesome! Just like it was taken right out of one of those gaijin sci-fi series!" he exclaimed.

**  
**Little Washu smiled. "I'm glad that you like it. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to start the examination. I also have some other projects ongoing which I need to supervise."

**  
**The Saotome youth nodded. "I agree. The sooner this is over the better. I never liked exams much."

**  
**The scientist smiled. Who in his right mind _did_ like exams when one was the one being examined? The cursed martial artist was a treasure. Too bad that he was already taken. "I understand, Ranma."

**  
**Ranma gathered his courage and looked at Washu. "Okay, let's get this over with."

**  
**The scientist nodded, and Ranma noticed that she had already examination gloves covering her hands. The cursed martial artist gulped, and with that the examination began.

**  
**Washu's examination of his male form took quite some time, and Ranma had the slight suspicion that she was examining more than just his curse; the prodding and probing he endured felt downright unpleasant from time to time. But he had to trust Washu, after all, the diminutive scientist was apparently the only one who could help him and Kasumi regarding their curses.

**  
**Then the examination was finally over, and Ranma got up from the thing Washu had called a bio-bed. But the examination was far from over. "Ranma, now I need to examine your female form." she said, and Ranma nodded; he had expected as much.

**  
**Washu pulled a cup of water apparently out of nowhere, and upended the cold liquid over Ranma's head, triggering the change. Naturally the whole change was captured by the multiple sensors and scanners Washu had installed in the medical section of her lab.

**  
**Satisfied Washu nodded. "Now please lay down on the bio-bed again." she said, and Ranma did just that. "By the way, have you ever had a full gynaecological or breast examination in your female form before?"

**  
**Talk about the big guns at point-blank-range. Ranma nearly leapt five feet up from the bio-bed and came to sit on the edge of the bio-bed again, panting and chalk-white, unconsciously clutching her breasts. "W... what? B.. breast exam? Gynawhat?" the confused girl asked.

**  
**Washu sighed. Apparently her mother had not covered these topics when she had given the 'talk' to Ranma. **'Why me?'** she thought to herself. "Ranma," she began in a soothing but professional tone, "in order to exclude the possibility of cancer or other serious problems a female has to have regular examinations of her body. Especially of the breasts and the ovarian system. I know from my scans that your body is one-hundred percent female, right down to the DNA. In other words, you, Ranma-chan, have a fully functional female body. And you need to make sure that everything is okay. To this end you'll _need_ these examinations sometime in the near future, even if you should be unwilling to do so right now. I have the necessary equipment, but I can understand if you don't want to do it right now. Maybe you'd be more comfortable with a local gynaecologist as it would be more anonymous."

**  
**Ranma still boggled. But slowly she could see that those examinations would be necessary if Washu found no way to remove the curse. "I understand, Washu-chan. But could we first find out if you are able to remove the curse? Then all this stuff wouldn't be necessary." **'Which would relieve me loads. That gyna-something did not sound good…'**

**  
**The redheaded scientist nodded. "Sure, Ranma-chan. I'll begin the scans now. Just lean back and relax, it should not take too long."

**  
**Ranma-chan nodded and leant back onto the bio-bed. And really, it did only take half an hour to get the scan results thanks to Washu's superb technological wonders. The genius scientist studied the results, and from what Ranma-chan could see of her face she did not look optimistic. "Hmm, from the data I have gathered about this curse I can say one thing: it is the most complex coding I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot in my over 20,000 years. I am sorry, Ranma-chan, but even _I_ won't be able to remove the curse. And I don't see any hope that it will ever be possible. This curse really approaches magic and is technologically nearly not explainable. What might be possible is to alter the trigger of the curse. I noticed that these areas of the coding are not as complex. But I can not promise you anything. To evaluate the data completely will take some time. But one thing is definite. There _is_ no cure. You will always be a half-girl, until the end of your life. Sorry, Ranma-chan."

**  
**The cursed martial artist nodded. She had expected something like that. It would simply have been too good to be true. No, she had to accept the reality. She was now a girl and would be a girl for the half of the rest of her life. What Washu had said made it definite and crushed her last hopes and delusions to become fully male again.

**  
**But even despite her knowledge that the curse would be with her forever, she was still not convinced that she was indeed as much female as male, even though this concept became stronger, ever so slowly. "Thanks, Washu-chan. Thanks for trying. That it might be possible to change the trigger is at least something. It would be a big help if the water-magnet part could be removed at least, if changing the trigger ain't possible. But I'm sure you'll find a way. Thank you again, Washu-chan." Ranma-chan said, got up and gave Washu a hug.

**  
**The diminutive scientist was surprised at first, but then returned the hug with a smile. "You're welcome, Ranma-chan. But don't forget, now you _will_ have to get those exams. They are very important for a woman, and you'll be one for the half of the rest of your life. So you got to treat this female body of yours good. Ne, Ranma-chan?"

**  
**The Saotome youth nodded. "Yes. And I'll think about the stuff with the exams, Washu-chan. Can we get back now? I'd like to take that shower. Time to face my femininity."

**  
**Washu nodded, and seconds later a door once more appeared out of nowhere. Ranma whistled. "Can you do that everywhere in the house?" she asked curiously.

**  
**The other redhead shook her head. "No, right now just inside my lab. Tenchi, the big meanie, won't let me do it for the rest of the house. He says this way the girls would have it much easier to surprise him. I'd say one girl-surprise or the other wouldn't hurt him." **'Especially if it's my daughter who surprises him...' **she added mentally.

**  
**Ranma giggled. She could clearly imagine Tenchi's face if Ryoko suddenly came out of a door that had not been there seconds before, ready to jump his bones. Too funny!

**  
**Shaking her head in hilarity Ranma followed Washu towards the door, and both women used it to return to the entry-level of the lab from where Washu created a door to the living room.

**  
**Kasumi and Sasami who were the only ones left in the house and who had been waiting for their return looked up from what they were doing when they heard a door being shut, and the next thing the two saw were two redheads.

**  
**The cursed Tendo upended a convenient glass of water over her head, and a second later he was at Ranma's side. "I take that there is no cure, love, else you would not be in your alternate form."

**  
**Ranma smiled a lop-sided smile. "Razor-sharp combined, Sherlock Tendo. No, there is no cure, and I'll be half-and-half for the rest of my life. Washu's examination only made it final. But I'll live with it, and I'll do my best to enjoy being a girl for the next three months."

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled and embraced his girlfriend. He did not know why but it just felt better to hold his Ranma in male form, that's why he'd become male some seconds ago. It was simply easier to comfort his girlfriend in this form and the sensations of holding Ranma-chan in this form were much… nicer. "That is the spirit, my love. And_ I_ will do my best to enjoy being a boy for these three months. Lil' Washu, do you need to examine me too now that we know that the curse can not be removed?" he asked.

**  
**The scientist stroked her chin. "It was not possible to remove the curse in Ranma's case which was interconnected with the fact that she has had the curse for so long. Maybe the situation is different in your case due to the fact that you have not had the curse for a long time as of now. In my opinion an exam of you would not hurt." **'Much.'** she added once more. Washu hoped that this had been enough to convince the other curse victim. She'd be damned if she'd pass up such an opportunity.

**  
**To her relief the woman-turned-man nodded. He did not mind the curse much any more but why not. "Okay, Lil' Washu. I'll be back soon, Ranma-chan. Will you wait with the shower until then?"

**  
**The Saotome girl nodded. "Of course. I'll busy myself with some more breakfast, Ka-kun. Maybe I'll even look what the others are doing… but those pancakes do smell good!" she said with a smile.

**  
**The woman-turned-man shook his head. "Your stomach is a bottomless pit, love." he said with a smile, fully knowing that she'd probably engage herself fully in an all-you-can-eat contest to beat her own records for the time of his absence.

**  
**The redhead nodded. "And this pit is looking forward to be filled. Preferably with Sasami's fine cuisine, seeing as you're on vacation." she said with an impish grin.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko shook his head in mirth and gave his girlfriend a kiss; then he followed Washu-chan into the recesses of her lab.

**  
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**  
**An hour and many breakfast items on Ranmas part later Kasumi-otoko finally re-entered the living room through the same door the two redheads had used before. Ranma could see from his expression that he had not had more luck than she and that he was in male form was a dead give-away. Obviously the curse could not be removed; but oddly enough, Kasumi did not seem too sad about it. "No luck?" she asked to confirm her suspicions.

**  
**The brown-haired man shook his head. "No, Ra-chan. Even in my case my body was already too saturated with curse-magic, or as Lil' Washu called it 'chaotic coding'. Lil' Washu has no way of removing the curse as the 'chaotic coding of my curse' is as complex as in your case. She said that she'd love to take a look at a freshly cursed Jusenkyo victim to verify if the coding is this complex from the start or not. Fact is that I'll always be a half-man for the rest of my life and that I'll have to live with it."

**  
**He had just finished the sentence when he was being hugged by a certain redhead. "I'm sorry, Ka-kun." she said sadly.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko ruffled her silky hair and smiled down on her. "What for, Ra-chan? It's not your fault. Besides as long as the love of my life changes alongside me it's a lot easier to bear." he said and evoked a pleased smile from Ranma; a two-minute lip-lock followed that was only interrupted by the necessity to come up for air. Both curse victims looked lovingly at each other and Ranma leant into her taller boyfriend.

**  
**He was right; as long as they changed together it was a lot easier to bear. Should she feel guilty now that she'd secretly hoped that the curse could not be removed in Kasumi's case? She had to admit to herself that she _had_ feared that Kasumi could become uncursed which would leave her alone again.

**  
**Finally she had someone who understood her and what she was going through on a regular basis and she honestly didn't know how she would have reacted if Kasumi could've been cured. Sure, she felt guilty for feeling this way but she could not help to feel relieved. Maybe she'd confess her feeling to her love later on.

**  
**Seeing the introspective mood of his girlfriend the cursed Tendo decided to get her out of her brooding. "How about we take a certain shower now, Ra-chan?"

**  
**The pigtailed youth nodded. Then a wicked gleam entered her eyes. The others did not have to know, but maybe they could try it again how it was to change under a shower, together. It had felt quite good the first time. "Yes, Ka-kun. Let's take the shower." she said and made her way out of the living room. "Later!" she called towards Sasami who had been busy with one kitchen-duty or the other.

**  
**"Yes, Ranma-chan, later. And don't do something naughty!" the little Princess exclaimed.

**  
**Ranma looked back with a look that said 'Who? Me?', smirked and went upstairs. Kasumi-otoko went and followed her, and found that Ranma was already waiting for him at the door to the bathroom. "I have already placed the soap in the shower and if you want to you can go first. Or we could go in together…" she said with a suggestive wink.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko blushed and shook his head. "That's not a good idea, Ra-chan. In spite of how far we have progressed in our relationship it would be improper to shower together." he said earnestly. Then his face changed into a smile. "However, that might and will change in the future…" he finished suggestively at seeing her disappointed expression.

**  
**The redhead smiled back instantly. "I sure do hope so, Ka-kun." she answered and leant forward. Kasumi-otoko smiled and soon the two cursed individuals found themselves in a lip-lock. The cursed Tendo as well as the cursed Saotome enjoyed the kiss very much and both had to resist the urge to go any further. Kasumi-otoko knew the exact physiological reasons for that but they had sworn that they would wait with the naughty bit until they had at least met one of the conditions they had set.

**  
**Finally the kiss ended; with a smile Kasumi-otoko went into the bathroom. Inwardly Ranma had to fight the urge to follow her love but she knew that it was just too early. Granted, they had seen each other naked in the furo several times in the past but she had never seen _him_ naked. And further, Kasumi had never seen her male form naked either. No, that was something they would limit for the bedroom for when the time was right.

**  
**Inside the bathroom Kasumi-otoko locked the door. Not so much as to keep his love out but to keep anyone else out. Slowly he disrobed and placed his clothes on the stool. Finally naked he paused to view himself in the full-body mirror. He had slowly gotten used to the male body and it sure helped that he was indeed handsome.

**  
**He was really well built, that he could say about himself without boasting. His stomach was flat and well-muscled and approached a washboard stomach due to all the training in the past weeks. Surveying himself in the mirror Kasumi-otoko nodded to himself; he was very satisfied with the muscle-tone of his male body. It was really well muscled but not overly so; he had an attractive face and expressive brown eyes, not unlike his grandfather on the maternal side that he only knew from pictures. In short, he was what even his sisters would describe as a hunk. It had been irritating at first but from a diplomatic question he knew that it did not hurt that he was very well hung.

**  
**Slowly he had come to accept that this body was also Kasumi Tendo and what Elder Cologne had told her about the curse had really helped. It had been the Elder who had clarified that it was not the body that counted but the person inside. And even in male form he was still Kasumi Tendo.

**  
**Without anyone hindering him as would have been likely back at home he had already nearly accepted the curse completely. Being male had also certain benefits such as greater strength and reach and harder skin. It had been quite hard to get used to pee while standing and missing out on the monthlies for three months or more would be something he'd have to get used to. However he could very well do without a migraine and flushes for that amount of time.

**  
**And being together with Ranma had made everything so much easier. He'd never have thought that getting cursed would have so many benefits but the greatest had been that he had been able to act upon his feelings and show them to Ranma.

**  
**It had been the happiest moment of his/her life when Ranma had reciprocated the love he felt for the other curse victim. The last two weeks had been like walking on clouds and the feeling of a million butterflies in the stomach each time he looked at his/her love was indescribable and endlessly nice.

**  
**However, before he'd lock himself he'd have to say good-bye to his female side properly. Thus the cursed Tendo went over to the sink and turned the warm water tap on. From experience with the curse he knew that just holding his hand into the stream of warm water would be enough to trigger the change.

**  
**Looking into the mirror he did just that and moments later he noticed the tingling sensation that accompanied the change. Seconds later her female form had been restored and she surveyed what the full mirror to the other side of the room presented her.

**  
**With a satisfied smile she nodded. She was still as beautiful as she had been before she had received the curse. Slowly she shook her head. Who would have known that a now 17 year old young man named Ranma Saotome who was cursed to become a girl would have had such an impact on her life? Probably nobody. But she was glad about what had happened for it had led to true love for her.

**  
**From a scientific point of view their relationship was also bound to be more fulfilled than those of other couples. Moments later Kasumi blushed at her naughty thoughts but as she had already thought about having kids with Ranma sex was no longer a foreign concept for her. She knew that she wanted to do the 'naughty' with Ranma; it was only a question of time and finances.

**  
**Ranma was the one for her, for both sides of her, which she had found proven in the last two weeks. What had been love had blossomed into a burning love, a love she had never felt for anyone before in her life. For lack of terms to describe it properly it was like she was burning inside but at the same time the love she felt for Ranma gave her nourishment.

**  
**With a smile she realised that she had tried to grasp the concept of love scientifically. She had read every bit of information she could get about her chosen field of interest, medicine. Technically she knew that love was a process activated and controlled by hormones.

**  
**Lately she had read a definition for love on the net; according to that love was 'the affinity experienced between two people who are naturally able and willing to tune into one another's emotional, intellectual, and physical states - and respond to them in a nurturing and a stimulating way'. The theory paled verily in comparison to reality, however. Being in love was the greatest experience she had made as of yet and there were just no words to describe the state she was in.

**  
**An ever bigger smile graced her face as she entered the shower cubicle. True to her word Ranma had indeed placed the soap in the shower. Elder Cologne had advised to apply the soap after the skin had gotten wet already, like anyone would handle a normal soap. That was no problem as she had to change into her male form anyway.

**  
**Saying good bye to womanhood for three or more months Kasumi switched the shower on. She had adjusted the setting to medium-warm which she gradually changed from warm to cold, triggering the change. Then he turned the water off and applied the improved waterproof soap to his whole body.

**  
**Seconds later he felt an odd tingling, not unlike that when the change occurred but stronger. Suddenly the cream and wax coat from the soap disappeared and the tingling got stronger still until it finally stopped. "Hmm, it seems to be complete." he muttered to himself. "Cologne hasn't said anything but I better wait for a minute or so. Better safe than sorry."

**  
**Not one to waste time Kasumi-otoko used the time to clasp his toe- and fingernails. After all, it would not do for a man to have overly long nails and once he was a she again they could always regrow. He'd also have to do something about his hair as his ponytail held by one hair-band was a tad bit too long. Sure that clasping the nails had taken more than one minute he entered the shower cubicle once more. "Good, now to test it." he said to himself and turned on the warm water.

**  
**The water showered him, but no change occurred. He gradually turned the heat up until it became nearly unbearable. Still no change. "Very nice. It seems to be working. Now to my love." he said and exited the shower.

**  
**Then he grabbed a towel and clothed. It was a good thing that the Chinese pants and the shirt were virtually unisex but now that he would be a man for three months at least the first thing they had to do was to go on a shopping trip to buy themselves some decent clothing.

**  
**Finally fully clothed Kasumi-otoko exited the bathroom. The sight he came upon was something he should have expected from his Ranma but it was nevertheless funny. To keep herself occupied while he had been busy in the bathroom his love had engaged in some light training and was currently doing some vertical push-ups on one finger.

**  
**However once she sensed him she instantly sprang to her feet, a look of deep curiosity on her face. "Did it work?" she asked with big blue eyes.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko smiled. "Yes, it did. I fear from now on you'll have a full-time boyfriend for the next three months."

**  
**Ranma pretended to be on the verge of fainting. "Oh no! However shall I survive this?" she exclaimed theatrically.

**  
**The now locked Tendo lunged for her. "C'mere you!" he exclaimed.

**  
**Kasumi-otoko lunged at her to try to tackle her down and tickle her mercilessly but Ranma evaded that fate at first. However Kasumi-otoko had a greater reach than her and finally managed to tackle her down. "Tendo Ultimate Tickle attack!" he exclaimed and attacked her sides mercilessly. It was something he had last done as a she many years back and it just felt good. He couldn't believe on how much he had missed out in her/his former existence as a housewife and he vowed to catch up on it, together with his Ranma.

**  
**Soon said Ranma was squirming on the ground in helpless laughter due to the fact that her sides were a lot more ticklish while female and conceded defeat after some time. "Stop! I #giggle# give up! #gasp# You're #guffaw# too good!" she exclaimed with tears in her eyes from laughter.

**  
**Ultimately albeit reluctantly Kasumi-otoko stopped and received his winners kiss after Ranma had caught her breath. Theatrically she exclaimed "Oh no, I, Ranma Saotome have lost! Whatever shall happen now?" which send the two into fits of laughter. It also showed that Ranma was finally able to relax and have some fun; a great progress on her part, in Kasumis opinion.

**  
**Soon both cursed individuals were sitting on the floor, Ranma leant into Kasumi-otoko. He softly stroked her hair, a smile on his face. "You know, had someone told me some time ago that I'd lock myself as a man for three months I'd have had them committed to a good asylum. But now that I have you and because of you it all is not so bad any more. I have understood that we are now both man and woman and that probably till the day we die. I will do my best to learn how to be a man and I want to be there for you. Ranma-chan, I love you."

**  
**The cursed Saotome youth snuggled even deeper into Kasumi-otokos body with a big smile on her face. She had never experienced such unconditional love before. Her mother had begun to show such love to her in the past three months but it had been a motherly love, and that was different from the love Kasumi held for her.

**  
**In the past two weeks when she had been a girl on and off, but especially during the time in Oume she had felt just how good it felt if you had someone who cared for you, who protected you and offered unconditional love. She loved Kasumi more than her life, but to her misery she could not voice it as of yet. "I know what you mean, Ka-kun." she said, and alone the use of the pet-name with the male-suffix should tell Kasumi what she felt for him. "The same goes for me. I'd have thought anyone who would have told me that _I_ would lock myself as a girl for three months completely raving bonkers. But you hit the dot, because of you it is not so bad. I'm bad with words, but… the heck!" she exclaimed and pressed a hard kiss on his mouth.

**  
**A kiss that was soon returned in kind and intensity. Kasumi had indeed understood what Ranma wanted to tell him. She loved him but was as of yet unable to voice it. Genma had it too deeply ingrained in her so that she could not admit her innermost feelings, her love as of yet. But together they would work on it and he was sure that they would achieve victory over the panda and his teachings. He also hoped dearly that he would maybe get good enough in the Art after a crash-course Ranma style to deal out some just and deserved punishment to Genma. For crippling Ranma thusly he deserved to be sold to a zoo, preferably as a female panda for a breeding program!

**  
**What he did not understand was that Nodoka put up with him or why. Genma Saotome did not deserve such a fine wife. He just did not deserve someone like auntie! He had really come to like Nodoka after she had been convinced that her views and ideas for Ranma were hurting her child more deeply than any other human being could ever achieve, her various rivals, suitors and enemies included. He had to suppress the urge to scowl as he thought about how confused and hurt Ranma had been because of that and only kissing the life out of Ranma and stroking her silky red hair served to take his mind away from those thoughts.

**  
**It had taken some hard realities to convince Nodoka but now he would be glad to call her his mother-in-law one time. As for Genma, maybe Nodoka could be convinced that a panda-breeding program would indeed be the right choice for her idiot and hopefully soon-to-be-ex-husband.

**  
**When the kiss ended Kasumi-otoko helped Ranma to her feet and embraced her in a hug. "Now go so that we can go shopping, love." he said with a smile.

**  
**Ranma raised her hands towards the heavens and rolled her eyes in mock-horror. "Argh, the shopping virus strikes again! Maybe I can get rid of it with some cold water…" she jested.

**  
**Her love aimed a playful punch at her but Ranma evaded with a giggle. Then she strode towards the bathroom, blew her love a kiss and closed the door. Ranma went through the same procedure as Kasumi had, even including the melancholy part. But like Kasumi she admitted that it was necessary and soon she had herself locked. Like Kasumi she took precautions and waited one minute for the soap to latch on.

**  
**During this time she engaged in some light training to kill the wait and once she had found out that the soap did indeed work she towelled herself off, dressed and left the bathroom. With a lopsided grin she greeted her love. "Well, now you have three months of a full-time girlfriend ahead of you. Will you be able to handle that?"

**  
**His answer was a smile and the two were just about to engage in yet another snogging session when suddenly an explosion rocked the compound. Screams could be heard and in a flash Ranma ran downstairs to investigate with her love hot on her heels. In the kitchen she saw a confused and scared Mihoshi and an oddly spaced-out Sasami. "You stay in here and keep safe!" she stated in a commanding voice and the blonde Galaxy Police officer nodded. Whatever it was that was attacking them Mihoshi doubted that she'd prove useful in the fight.

**  
**Then Ranma caught sight of Katsuhito who entered the room with his sword drawn. "Don't worry about them, Ranma. I'll protect Sasami and Mihoshi with my life. But your speed and skill are needed outside."

**  
**That stopped Ranma dead in her tracks. "Do you know what's happening?"

**  
**The Shinto priest nodded. "Little Washu gained some intel on our attacker before it disabled our sensor-array. That's also where your senses come in. If the data is right the attacker is a disguised Android apparently sent by an old foe of us though we have no idea how. Washu also warned us that it has some defences to counter our Juraian powers; that's why you're so important. But more to that later. I'll protect the house with everything I have; please go and help the others."

**  
**Ranma nodded and sprinted towards the door. She nearly ordered her love to stay behind with the others but Kasumi-otoko was not so easy to convince and followed her.

**  
**She ran outside and what she saw made her boggle. Damn it, was she seeing double or what? Why the heck were there two Ryokos?

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	23. Under attack

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 23: Under attack**

**  
**Shaking her head to clear it Ranma surveyed the situation. One Ryoko was fully involved in the battle against the second Ryoko. Thanking her mentors (not for the first time) for her Ki-senses, Ranma watched intently. Due to the senses she could easily determine which Ryoko was false and which not. The others, meaning Tenchi and Ayeka were not as lucky and were standing around uselessly, unsure of who to attack.

**  
**It had _not_ helped that each time when one Ryoko had claimed to be the real one the other had claimed the same thing in the same way; indeed they had been living together for quite some time but neither Tenchi nor Ayeka had been able to discern who the real Ryoko was. They had been informed of the nature of the attacker by Washu but whichever the fake was it had been prepared very well. Tenchi on his part believed that Washu knew more than she'd told them but he'd find out after the battle; a battle he could not join at the moment for aforementioned reasons. It was frustrating.

**  
**Ranma on her part didn't know much about the first Android incident that had happened some time ago and thus she didn't know much about Zero and what had happened back then. All that they'd been told was that the Masaki's had been infiltrated by an Android called Zero; and that Ryoko and Zero had become one after it had rebelled against its master.

**  
**But unlike Zero this Android here that had also taken on the appearance of Ryoko was obviously programmed to kill them all. It had been a wise precaution on Washu's part to upgrade the sensor-net after the 'Zero-incident' for fear something like that could be tried again, that Ranma had to admit. It was however very convenient that she was here for had she not the others might have had a harder time to find out which of the Ryoko's was the attacker; but whoever had sent the Android had obviously not had her on the equation.

**  
**Katsuhito would have been able to differ between the Ryokos' too, Ranma mused but he was not here at present as he was protecting the house, but especially Sasami and Mihoshi. And if she'd gauged the situation correctly he would have been the first target of the Android after the destruction of the sensor-net; for if Katsuhito had been out of the way no one would have been able to tell the two apart which would have given the Android the chance to strike from the shadows.

**  
**Tenchi was just not good enough to differentiate between the Android and the real Ryoko as of yet; but Ranma had to admit that whoever had built the Android was very good, a downright genius. Even she had been hard pressed to recognise the fake and _her_ senses had gotten a lot better.

**  
**After the sensor-net and Katsuhito it could have taken Ryoko out and assumed her place in order to kill the others much more easily; the only thing necessary would have been to leave no body of the real Ryoko behind then it could have claimed that it had killed the attacker. In the chaos following the deaths of Katsuhito and Ryoko it would have been easy.

**  
**Ranma did not know if that was what the Android had in mind but in her book it was a safe bet. Infiltrate, mimic and strike. Ranma mused that in case that this modus operandi failed the Android had something up its sleeve to deal with a household of super-powered aliens. From watching Ryoko and the Android going toe to toe she knew what.

**  
**Boy could that thing fight! It was not so much the technique behind the moves that impressed Ranma but the sheer power and speed. That their opponent was a machine also meant that she would not have to hold back against it. Storming forward with adrenaline pumping through her veins she entered the battle. "Tenchi, this one is a fake!" she exclaimed and pointed to the Ryoko on the right.

**  
**Her childhood friend nodded and together they attacked the Android while Ayeka stood back as backup. Tenchi was very glad that Ranma could tell the fake apart from the real one as this ended his forced inactivity. The real Ryoko was glad too that she was finally getting some very much needed support here; for whatever Dr. Clay had done when he had created the new Android; the beast was darn strong and tough! She doubted that she'd be able to take it down on her own and a repetition of what had happened with Zero was unlikely seeing as things were going at present.

**  
**Ranma had joined the battle and used all of her speed to land blows all over the Androids body but the machine just shrugged them off. Even Tenchi who was using his Lighthawk sword and armour was not faring much better. Ranma's blows were too fast for the Android to dodge but the sword-strikes it dodged easily.

**  
**It was just like Ryoko had said in their fight: what you can't hit you can't defeat. It also seemed as if the Android had something to counter the powers of the Lighthawk for Tenchi's attacks had little to no effect. Suddenly the Android lashed out and landed an upper-cut on Tenchi. Due to his Lighthawk sword he had obviously been perceived as the highest immediate threat. The black-haired boy landed dazed several dozen feet away and Ranma saw that Ayeka was already looking after her fiancé.

**  
**As Ranma watched Tenchi go down she had to remember Katsuhito's words from a minute ago. She had sensed that Tenchi had flared that strange ki of his but it seemed as if Washu's intel had been correct; the machine had something up its sleeve to counter his powers and had somehow downed Tenchi with ease despite his powers.

**  
**Well, that left her and Ryoko to deal with the Android for the moment. Damn, it did not look good for them at the moment thought Ranma as she stopped the machine from going after Tenchi. Instantly she used her chestnut-fist and landed nearly 1,000 blows in under a second but the damn thing did not seem to feel anything! What was that thing made of? Adamantium?

**  
**Ryoko who had regrouped and was working on the backside of the Android was not faring much better. Despite her increased strength she seemed to be no match for this new Android and slowly she was getting frustrated. She growled, pulled back her right fist and used all of her strength to connect in one hard punch. The blow seemed to shake the frame of the Android but despite that it had not much effect.

**  
**Slowly and seemingly with a smirk the Android turned around to the real Ryoko and Ranma used this momentary lack of concentration on her to connect a hard upper-cut to the Androids chin. Despite her training in the Breaking Point she had to resist the urge to grab her hand. Damn, that thing was hard!

**  
**Ranma and Ryoko looked at each other and nodded. Now that the Android was several feet away from them and the others they could safely use their energy attacks. Moments later they did just that. Ryoko let lose a hailstorm of energy-blasts while Ranma launched flaming orb after flaming orb. Soon a huge dust-cloud was raised and the two warriors could not see or feel their foe any more; though both were certain that they had done some damage. They should be proven wrong soon.

**  
**Sudden movement within the cloud was their only warning before Ryoko was tossed aside like a rag-doll; then the Android was upon Ranma. It had deemed the redhead the new high risk to her mission due to her apparent ability to sense that she was not the original Ryoko.

**  
**Without its mimicry it was missing a vital advantage for its creator, Dr. Clay had programmed it with the behavioural patterns of Ryoko Habiki. It had been tested thousands of times and could play a very convincing Ryoko. Had not the security sensors which had apparently been upgraded alerted them of its presence before it had disabled them it might have been able to kill and replace the real Ryoko after it would have killed Yosho; which would have made its mission much easier.

**  
**After all, who'd suspect someone you trusted to be a killer? If anything would have gone as planned the arch-enemy of its master, Washu, would have had to watch how something that looked like her daughter killed everyone she loved or at least cared for. Its intel had however not included any data about that strange disturbance, the redheaded woman. Thanks to her it'd have to do it the old fashioned way. Beat on them until they dropped dead.

**  
**First it'd terminate this irritating redhead that could tell it apart from the real Ryoko. Its design was superior for it'd been devised to be the ultimate and unstoppable Android. It would be the end of the foes of its master; it'd be his ultimate revenge. And now that it had been uncovered it would not use its vocal cords so as to confuse and scare the organic life-forms further. It would attack mercilessly and mute which would soon erode any resistance its targets would offer.

**  
**Speaking and claiming that it was the real Ryoko was illogical until it had eliminated the redhead. Which it would do now. After that was done it would return to the original plan and kill Yosho and afterwards Ryoko. Then it would either pretend to be the real Ryoko or kill them all right off. Whatever suited the situation best.

**  
**The Android shot forward and Ranma did a backflip to evade a kick aimed for her right side, raced forward at the machine and fired an energy blast. But the Android simply jumped out of the way and raced forward on its own. It sent a hail of punches at Ranma which were driving her constantly back. The redhead reached deeper into her power reserves, deep into that intermixing well of power that she could still not access fully and at will as of yet and her defence improved instantly.

**  
**She was now able to keep the machine from wiping the floor with her and upped the ante. With a sudden burst of speed Ranma launched a series of punches and kicks at the Android and was able to hit it hard in the face with a blow that slipped through its defences. The air actually trembled from the impact but the Android stood unfazed. Ranma was completely surprised that her punch had had no effect at all and that cost her. The Android gave her no chance to recover but grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards it, meeting Ranma's ribs with its right knee.

**  
**The redhead grunted but did not admit the pain and then she grabbed the hand the machine was using to hold her; throwing it over her shoulder in one fluid motion. The surprised machine had no time to react as the Saotome girl fell on it in a frenzy of kicks and punches. Wisely the others stayed out of the fight at the moment as they saw just how tough and strong that damn machine was. No one aside from Ranma was apparently a match for it in regards of speed, not even Tenchi with his Light hawk abilities.

**  
**Furthermore in close combat like this they might endanger Ranma more than be of use to her. As it seemed none of them had a chance in close combat aside from Ranma it would be illogical to join the battle at that point. Especially Ryoko was frustrated to no end to be so helpless but she was just no match for the machine in regards of speed. Grudgingly she had to admit that she'd also be hard pressed to match the toughness and strength of that thing.

**  
**Tenchi shook his head and grumbled as he observed the fight. The machine Dr. Clay had designed there was simply too fast for him to hit and the recovering youth swore and oath that the first thing he'd work on after this bout here was over was his speed. Like it had been said before, what good did power if one could not apply it to hit the target?

**  
**Meanwhile the fight between Ranma and the impostor raged on. The Android managed to connect a blow to Ranma's face that sent her flying backwards but the redhead recovered quicker than the wind and used her Amaguriken-speed to cover the distance that separated her from the Android.

**  
**Immediately the Saotome girl was on the offence and showed all her prowess as she executed a fluid and fast punch-kick-roundhouse-kick-blast-combo but it was of no use; not one of her blows managed to penetrate the defences of the Android.

**  
**The machine matched her blow for blow and as it was not made of organic material it did neither tire nor lessen in the intensity of its attacks. The same could not be said about Ranma who slowly began to tire under the strain.

**  
**Digging deeper into her bag of tricks Ranma employed the technique of the 'splitting cat heirs' to split herself into numerous images of herself; she had been taught in the secrets of this technique by Elder Cologne and deemed it quite useful to confuse an opponent if one needed to catch ones breath. And as much as she loathed admitting it she _did_ have to catch her breath for a moment.

**  
**Her diversion also seemed to work as the machine _was_ confused for a few precious moments; this time was all Ranma needed to catch her breath. She had guessed that the Android would adapt fast but her trick had brought her into the position to launch the next offence.

**  
**Seeing that the machine was focussed on her, that meant that it had by now seen through her deception, she was now ready; and before the machine could attack she made the first move. It was time to use her bag of tricks. "PHOENIX BURST!" she exclaimed and suddenly a bright glow emanated from the palm of her hand. As she herself knew the effects of her divertive strategy she had shielded her eyes; the Phoenix Burst would hopefully hit the Android unprepared and would overload its visual receptors with a bit of luck.

**  
**Not waiting to verify if her diversion had worked she launched herself at the Android and tried to make as much structural damage as possible; she mainly concentrated on the head as she suspected it to hold the core of the AI. Several hundred punches in very rapid succession snapped the head of the Android back but to Ranma's chagrin she just wasn't making enough damage.

**  
**She also noticed that the Android was recovering as it fixed its eyes on her and she just jumped back in time to escape being enveloped in a surely crushing hug. As strong as she was she was sure that she would not survive a bear hug from this mechanical monster. Damn! It seemed as if hand-to-hand would just not do to make damage to that machine. No the battle was not going well, that she had to admit.

**  
**The watchers, foremost the strategists Tenchi and Ayeka were sharing this opinion. Despite Ranma's huge ki-reserves it slowly became obvious that the Android was gaining the upper hand. She was doing well in holding her own up till now but she just did not seem to be able to do enough damage. In contrast to the Android she would also tire over time. Not good. **'Damn!'** Tenchi thought. **'If only I could use my powers sufficiently against that thing I could help Ranma-chan! But whatever it is that Dr. Clay built into that Android blocks my powers! And Ryoko can't do anything either because she's too slow! Sorry old chap but you're on your own. I hope little Washu finds a way to unblock my powers so I can slice that thing in two!'**

**  
**Similar thoughts were running through Ryoko's head; she just itched to enter the fight but she knew that this was not a pub-brawl which could be won through strength, endurance and toughness. Those were factors here too but she just did not have the speed to keep up with that thing. Damn how she hated the feeling of helplessness!

**  
**One look at Ayeka told her that the fellow warrior maiden felt the same thing; granted, Ayeka was probably better in hand-to-hand in comparison to her but to enter in close combat with that Android would have been suicide for Ayeka. Her energy blasts were out of the question too for obvious reasons. That left Ranma as the only one able to keep up with the Android due to her obvious prowess in martial arts.

**  
**Said redhead on her part was growing frustrated too. Rapidly. As of now she was unable to use her new powers consciously to do more than add it to her ki-blasts; in fact despite that her power-centre was somehow changing and intermixing she was still using her ki a lot more and without the aid of her new powers, that she knew, she had no chance to win this fight. The little she could use of her new powers was simply not enough.

**  
**At the moment she could still hold her own but she was tiring. The others could not help her as they were too slow to stand a chance against the mechanical monster. That left her only one choice; the Kanemoku-ha wave was out of the question, as it took her too long to gather the necessary energy. Okay, time to show of another move. "PHOENIX FIRE!" she suddenly exclaimed firing one of her newest energy attacks she could do thanks to her new powers and due to what she'd watched Prince(ss) Herb do in their fight.

**  
**Instantly a huge spiral beam made of intertwined orange and red flames shot towards the Android and hit it dead-centre on the chest where it exploded with a huge bang. Debris was flying everywhere but before the dust cloud could even settle down Ranma saw movement within it. **'Damn, what does it take to destroy that damn thing?'** she thought slightly panting. It really seemed that nothing could stop that thing…

**  
**-.-

**  
**And really, mere moments later a nearly unharmed Android resumed the fight. Soon the human and the machine were trading blows once more while the others could only watch. Ranma shot a roundhouse kick to the machines' head that found only air and moved her right hand just in time to block a punch to the abdomen; then her left hand barely stopped a knee from breaking her nose.

**  
**Ranma then executed a chop-claw-kick combo but it was as ineffective before Android's air-tight defence. She knew that she'd probably be defeated if she continued to use hand-to-hand but she hoped to buy enough time so that something could be done to unblock Tenchi's powers. She only had to carry on…

**  
**And that she did. In follow-up Ranma executed a flawless chop-kick-punch-combo which looked really fluid and nice but was blocked by the Android with ease. The machine then started to execute an attack of its own and raised the tempo of the match for it phased out of sight and reappeared above Ranma, trying to hammer her down into the ground. But the Saotome girl had her guard-up and blocked the blow with some trouble then somersaulted and kicked at the Androids left side.

**  
**The machine had no troubles in blocking the blow and took the offensive again. It decked its opponent with a flurry of punches which were all countered and returned by Ranma. The experienced young warrior then aimed a kick for the machine's forehead in a feint attack and it countered the blow unknowing that the real attack was to follow.

**  
**Faster than it could follow the machine was then punched hard in the face and flew back. With a lightning quick kick Ranma shot her opponent through an array of trees that had remained unharmed in her fight with Ryoko. However that had not been enough to stop the Android and the machine shook the destroyed trees off of it like a human would dust himself off of sawdust.

**  
**It was unnerving for Ranma that the machine remained mute for the whole time and taunting or insulting it to confuse it and bring it off track seemed unlikely methods to her. She would have to beat it the old fashioned way. By putting as much holes through vital spots until it ceased moving. Too bad that this darn thing was so tough!

**  
**Like a juggernaut the machine marched forwards and attacked once more. And as if on cue it increased the tempo even more and hit Ranmas' defences with Earth-shattering blows which the young girl was nearly unable to block.

**  
**The machine blocked each retaliation thrown at it with unnerving ease and actually managed to connect a few times. Sensing its opponent's weakness it leapt forward at the redhead and sent a hailstorm of punches at her which were driving the Saotome girl back, limiting her to defence only.

**  
**She heard Kasumi-otoko yell to her to be careful but she could do little to answer her love. She noticed by now that her energy reserves were depleting and that she would go down if that kept up but by Kami-sama, she would go down fighting! Apparently she was the only one that could and she'd die to protect the others if necessary. It was a martial artist's sworn duty to protect others and she'd live and die by this codex. **'For my love and my friends!'** she thought.

**  
**With a battlecry she launched herself at the machine again and decked it with a blurry of punches and kicks, followed by a roundhouse-kick-blast-combo. The machine blocked everything with an impassive expression and suddenly its right fist lashed out.

**  
**Ranma's face met it as she was too slow to block it and she was sent flying upwards. The Android cut back instantly, phased out of sight and bashed her into the ground again upon reappearance.

**  
**The redhead rocketed to the ground and came to her feet troublesome a few moments later. She gritted her teeth and summoned all of her power. So, the damn machine was stronger than her. But she was still faster! Tapping deep into her Amaguriken speed she managed to phase in behind the Android and launched more than 1,000 blows in under one second.

**  
**It was admittedly weaker blows than before and sadly they did little to no damage. Shrugging the blows off as if they were the stings of an insect the Android turned around in one fast and fluid motion and upper-cutted the redhead towards were Kasumi-otoko and the others were standing.

**  
**Somewhat dazed the Saotome girl got to her feet but she was too late to block the energy blast that headed her way; whatever that blast was it was damned fast. Too fast even for any of Ryoko, Ayeka or Tenchi to block it with their shields assuming the blast _could_ be blocked. Time seemed to freeze and everyone looked on in horror, unable to move. Ranma just had time to cross the arms in front of her face and hoped she'd escape that bout somewhat burnt but alive. Though considering the power of the machine she prepared herself for the worst.

**  
**While Ranma had crossed the arms in front of her face another party had sprung into action. Before anyone could do anything suddenly a loud "Nooooooooo!" could be heard and from behind and beside her Ranma felt movement.

**  
**Suddenly someone was in front of her and shielded her from the blast and when it hit she realised to her horror who it was that had saved her. It was… Kasumi-otoko! All of a sudden time seemed to stop completely as the redhead looked down disbelieving at her bleeding and charred love.

**  
**Blood was flowing from his mouth and ears and he was thankfully unconscious; though he was obviously in a very bad state. Blood was also flowing from various wounds and already started to stain his shirt and pants. Ranma had no idea how badly injured he was or if he was still alive at all but it looked very bad. Slowly her disbelief changed to shock. Tears started welling up in her eyes and she made no move to stem them.

**  
**Ranma barely noticed how a growling Ryoko ignited her energy blade and moved in to attack the Android. Her attacks did not do much damage but they kept the machine busy at least. Busy enough to allow Ranma to check on her saviour.

**  
**Slowly Ranma sunk down to one knee and felt for a pulse. There was none! The Saotome girl shook her head; that couldn't be true! It had to be a nightmare. She checked again. Still no pulse! She slowly closed her eyes. That _had_ to be a bad nightmare. She'd close her eyes and everything would be back to normal when she'd open her eyes again.

**  
**Yet the scene stayed the same after she reopened her eyes. Kasumi-otoko was still looking dead and there was blood… so much blood! She barely noticed how Tenchi and Ayeka had both knelt down to either side of Kasumi-otoko and were trying to stem the blood-flow. Then, suddenly a shriek of anguish ripped through the silence. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Damn it, I _love_ you! You can't leave me! You hear me? You can't! I love you…" she sobbed.

**  
**Ranma just had no way of saving her love as she didn't know how to do CPR. For all intents and purposes her love had died for her and any logical thought was swept away; she even forgot that there were others around her who might be able to save Kasumi-otoko. All that kept going on in her mind was the mantra **'It is my fault… it is my fault…'** until she caught sight of the Android that was currently busy fighting Ryoko. No, it was not her fault, it was its fault! And it would pay a thousand fold!

**  
**Hate-filled eyes locked on the Android and tuned out the rest of the world; Ranma did not notice how Ayeka and Tenchi were trying to revive her love with CPR and mouth-to-mouth nor did she notice how Ryoko was thrown fifty feet backwards by an upper-cut from the Android; all who could see Ranma's face at that moment would swear later that no demoness from the deepest pits of hell could have looked scarier.

**  
**Deliberately she stepped away from the body of her love and incidentally from Ayeka and Tenchi bringing some distance between them, the image of the bloody body of her love etched into her mind. Her hate and rage at the machine rose and with a sudden yell of anguish Ranma unleashed a huge fiery aura which even caused Tenchi and Ayeka to stop briefly in their attempts to revive Kasumi-otoko.

**  
**For the first time Ranma tapped fully into the well of power within her; a well of power that had finally combined from to power-sources into one huge well of power. Nothing was holding her back any more and every seal and lock was torn apart by a flow of rage thusly never seen before in the normally kind and caring Saotome youth. Hateful blazing eyes locked on the Android which was currently under siege by Ryoko's energy blasts while Ranma's power-up continued.

**  
**Washu, who was sitting in her lab, currently busy with finding a way to overcome the blockade Dr. Clays Android had somehow erected on Tenchi's and Yosho's powers registered Ranma's power-up on her emergency sensors as a huge shockwave; but due to the fact that the Android had destroyed her main sensor-array she could not get as much data as she would have liked. What she could say with certainty was that Ranma was putting out more power than she had seen in a long time. And that was saying something.

**  
**Her scanners also alerted her of the condition of one Kasumi-otoko Tendo. She only caught brain-activity from him but no breathing or pulse. And if they did not act fast he'd die! Not even _she_ could bring back the dead but there was still hope as of yet. Using her mental link she shared with her daughter she initiated the necessary steps and redirected her attention fully to her new priority. **'Ryoko, stop what you're doing and grab Kasumi-otoko; teleport him directly to the medical wing of the lab. Pronto!'** she sent.

**  
**Mere moments later her apparently somewhat ruffled and very angry daughter thought back a confirmation and Washu used one of her doors to get to the medical wing of her lab. She dearly hoped that she could help Kasumi-otoko else this world might meet an untimely end…

**  
**On the battlefield Ryoko had done what her mother had ordered and only Tenchi, Ayeka and Ranma remained aside from the Android. Ranma still continued to power up and her pupils had changed from blue to red. Fire was dancing all over her body and her muscles seemed to have grown.

**  
**As had her body in general, as it seemed for Ranma stood now a few inches taller than before. The power-up process itself and Ayeka who had started to fire constant barrages of energy blasts at it had kept the Android from doing anything to interrupt the process; fact which would prove to be its undoing.

**  
**For suddenly and without warning Ranma was just a fiery streak that shot forward, leaving a trail of flames in her wake. She was practically shrouded in her power and actually created a sonic boom when she launched herself at the Android. The machine had no chance to react before a fiery fist impacted with its face. Unlike before this blow _did_ damage, much to the consternation of the machine.

**  
**It tried to read the power-level of the mysteriously changed redhead but drew a blank. Odd. It just did not get a reading on its target. Suddenly it heard a hate filled voice from its left side. "For what you did to my love you will pay! I'll enjoy ripping ya apart, ya tin can!"

**  
**This was followed by a crushing kick to the right side of the Android; this blow did damage too and the Android had no idea why. Its design was superior! No human being should be able to harm it! Heck, not even her programmed targets should be able to harm it and _they_ were classified as super-powered aliens. What _was_ this strange being before it?

**  
**Ranma for her part did not care what she was as long as this mechanical monster that had dared to harm and kill her love was destroyed by her. Preferably with her bare hands. However, the Android had other plans and suddenly jumped up into the air, using its power of flight as an advantage over its opponent. As it floated several feet above Ranma's head it had a nearly gloating expression on its face.

**  
**But the machine had gloated too early as Ranma thwarted the machine; with fire burning in her eyes she jumped up into the air herself. Instinctively she copied what Ryoko had done in their fight and pushed her ki under herself because she felt the need to follow and destroy the machine. It wouldn't be safe from her and her fury, nowhere. She'd blow that thing into smithereens and if it was the last thing she did! Within some seconds she got her flight under control and her eyes burned with fire. "Thought ya could escape my wrath, eh, tin can? Think again!" she exclaimed with venom in her voice.

**  
**Never before had she felt so much hate for anyone or anything for she had always been caring and forgiving and had nearly never given in to any bad feelings. Yet this machine had taken away what she loved most and she had not even been able to tell her love that she loved him. It had killed her love and that could not be forgiven! Never!

**  
**Having her flight under control now she shot forward so fast so that it seemed as if she'd disappeared. Growling she then shot a hard roundhouse-kick to the machines head from above and this time the shot was a major hit. The Android was sent to the ground, but caught itself in time to prevent crashing into the ground. With a clicking sound it landed on its feet, ready to resume the battle.

**  
**However, Ranma had been to fast for it to follow and had already reappeared behind it. The machine sensed a slight tapping on its left shoulder and turned to look what the disturbance was. Seconds later its sensors registered the impact of a fists strength, it exceeded the scales of its sensors.

**  
**The machine staggered back from the force of the blow but caught itself fast enough to block another blow. Ranma snarled. Feeling that her hand-to-hand skills would do damage now she gave in to the burning rage she felt at what that thing had done. Nothing was holding her back and for the first time in her life she did not pull her punches since she had grown in power.

**  
**The Android was still regaining its balance when Ranma phased out of sight and uppercutted the machine hard on reappearance. Using her newly gained ability to fly in combination with her speed she phased in into the flight-path of the Android and hammered it straight into the ground with a double-fisted blow.

**  
**Not letting up the tiniest bit she flew towards the ground and landed a spin-kick into the abdominal area of the machine which had regained a standing position after extracting itself from the involuntary crater it had made. The force of the kick was enough to cause it to stagger back. Ranma pressed her advantage mercilessly and shot a strong roundhouse-kick to the Android's head, intent on doing severe damage.

**  
**However somehow the Android manage to block the blow and it seemed as if it was back in the race again. The machine instantly launched a series of punches at Ranma's head yet the redhead weaved around the blows like a dolphin in the sea. Seeing that its attacks were doing naught it tried to knee Ranma yet the redhead countered the blow with her own knee and a snarl.

**  
**Her anger and rage were fuelling her power and she laid all her hate for the blasted Android into a hard upper-cut that sent the Android flying in a wide arc. It landed in a heap nearly fifty feet away and Ranma did not give it the chance to recover this time. The time for being friendly was over. Now she was _really_ pissed and fed up with that thing. Now it was time to get really deadly and even though she had sworn to never use these attacks the situation now warranted it. Running like the wind courtesy of her Amaguriken speed she covered the distance that separated her from the Android and stopped when she was ten feet away from the object of her hate.

**  
**Without much further ado Ranma gathered her impressive ki and launched one of her most deadly attacks at the Android. "Hiryo Shoten Ha revised: Flaming Inferno!" she yelled.

**  
**The tornado consisting of flames shot towards the machine with impressive speed and before the Android had any chance to react or initiate an evasive manoeuvre it was caught up in the flaming whirlwind. Ranma watched with satisfaction how the burning tornado tore at the Android and as this monstrosity was no living being she felt no remorse at using her attacks.

**  
**That vile beast had killed her love just like that and now the only thing left was revenge. Revenge for stolen moments, stolen chances, stolen kids and so much more. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about Kasumi-otoko and in the next moment hate filled her heart. Her ki surged upwards and the next moment another, even larger tornado followed the first. The Android which was already being tossed and turned around by the air-currents inside the tornado was subjected to even more structural stress as yet another flaming tornado tore into its side.

**  
**Ryoko who had teleported back onto the battlefield watched with her friends and loved ones how a look-alike of her was subjected to such treatment by a certain redhead; and Ranma was looking beyond pissed.

**  
**For a brief moment the cyan-haired alien shuddered at the thought that _she_ might have angered the redhead enough to force her to do something like that to her. Ryoko did not know that Ranma had sworn to never use these attacks against living beings so she was rightfully impressed and quite a bit flustered.

**  
**Tenchi on his part had never seen the even-tempered and happy-go-lucky Ranma so angry. Ranma seemed to be a fury incarnate but then again, if the love of his life had been hurt and maybe killed how would he have reacted? Probably the same way Tenchi mused to himself.

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma's plan if it could be called that seeing as her mind was still clouded in a red haze of hate and rage seemed to add up as the Android was indeed suffering from structural damage courtesy of the flaming tornados. Just as the first one dissipated the redhead readied yet another move, the Ice Tornado. But as she put especially much of her Soul of Ice into it she had a new name for it. "Hiryo Shoten Ha revised: Frost Hell!"

**  
**Just as the Android was about to fall down to the ground it was caught up again in yet another tornado. The freezing air-currents of the Frost Hell did just as much structural damage as the Flaming Infernos had done but Ranma wanted to vent her frustration and hate on the Android. It should know what it had done and for what it would be destroyed. However the tornados did not do as much damage as Ranma had hoped they would, which meant that the machine was somehow protected from rapidly changing temperatures. It seemed as if she'd have to finish it off by literally blasting it to bits.

**  
**Bringing her powers completely to the fore she engulfed her fists in flames. Normally she enjoyed fights and fought for the sake of the fight but this fight was different. With this fight and the destruction of the Android she'd take revenge upon a mechanical monster. Revenge, in her opinion, might be satisfying but was never enjoyable for it meant that you had already lost someone or something you enjoyed being with or having. But at the moment she did not care. She just wanted to rip the beast to shreds. Preferably into as much tiny bits as possible.

**  
**With a hateful battle-cry she leapt into the air and used her new ability to fly. She did not care about her gender, she did not care about her stupid father, she did not care about all the bad things that had happened in her life. All that she cared about was taking revenge upon an evil creature that had taken her love away before she had been able to admit her love to him.

**  
**For that she'd tear the darn machine apart, limb from limb. The tornado had dissipated by now and a damaged Android had been dumped onto the ground. Even with its considerable strength and toughness it had not been able to escape the attacks of its foe unharmed but as it came to its feet it was still sure of its victory. After all, its creators had made it to be the ultimate Android. It _could_ not be stopped or defeated.

**  
**Ranma thought otherwise and she was about to prove it. Faster than the scanners of the Android were able to follow Ranma came in and moments later the Android was punched hard in the face and flew back. In that time span Ranma had landed over 1,000 blows and with a lightning quick kick she shot her opponent right into the mountainous area that surrounded the Masaki compound.

**  
**The Android crashed through a mountain-side and took more damage but was still functional enough to carry on. Ryoko watched in fascination as her look-alike climbed out of its crash site and resumed the fight. The remainder of the Masaki household watched as Ranma followed her last attack with another, much more powerful version of the Phoenix Fire she had fired at the Android before. But unlike before this hit actually did major damage and the Android lost its right arm in the process.

**  
**However, Dr. Clay had apparently anticipated something like that and had included billions of nanites within the body of the Android. These nanites repaired the inflicted damage in a flash; mere seconds later the arm had been restored. The Android flexed it experimentally, obviously pleased with the results.

**  
**Ranma on her part was getting angrier by the second. It seemed as if she had to atomise the blasted machine instead of taking it apart limb from limb and soon she'd do just that. But before it came to that she'd have some good old fun with that wretched machine. Even if it could not feel the pain it would ease her own pain to see it suffer. That it was just an unfeeling machine made it much easier for her conscience too.

**  
**Ryoko and the others had been deeply unsettled by this new regenerative ability the new Android had demonstrated but their worries went up in smoke when they saw the expression on Ranma's face. She did not seem to be unsettled in the least; rather the opposite.

**  
**With yet another yell she launched the next attack at the machine and once more the redhead was too fast to follow. She simply seemed to disappear and suddenly appeared behind the Android. A hard kick to its head turned the face of the mechanical beast around and oil or another substance leaked from its mouth.

**  
**Before it could offer any resistance the machine was blasted over the compound by yet another Phoenix Fire followed by some good old hand-to-hand. It was clear as crystal that Ranma was now the superior fighter and not even the regenerative abilities of the Android could help it against the punishment that was now dealt out to it.

**  
**Ranma was completely unrelenting and the few blows that connected with her did not even faze her. Finally Ranma decided that she had had enough of the accursed Android and uppercutted it into the air. Fire blazed in her eyes as she readied yet another ki-attack.

**  
**Unlike in her fight against Ryoko however she planned to use everything she got in it. Her power welled up inside of her and moments later a red glow began forming her hands. Time to go into overkill-mode. "KA… NE… MO… KU… HAA revised: Purging wave!" she yelled and a huge red energy beam that looked like a wall of fire blasted towards the Android that had halted its flight in midair.

**  
**It had however absolutely no chance to avoid or deflect the incoming energy wave. The revised Kanemokuha-wave was simply too fast and when the Ryoko look-alike tried to block it the machine found out that it got burned away just from touching the beam.

**  
**The nanites were not able to work against the damage done and slowly the machine was reduced to naught. When Ranma was sure that nothing was left she let the beam dissipate and exhausted she sank to her knees. Then she curled up to a tight ball and began to sob. At first she had tried to remain strong, had wanted to prevent the tears from falling but the immense grief and sadness had just been overwhelming. The pain of loss was just too much for Ranma to deal with and she sobbed even harder.

**  
**Slowly and with compassion four warriors approached the sobbing redhead; Katsuhito had watched everything and had joined his grandson, Ryoko and Ayeka after the danger had passed, after he had been sure that Sasami and Mihoshi did not need his protection any more.

**  
**Especially Ryoko and Ayeka knew how Ranma must be feeling right now for they had thought at one point in time that they had lost Tenchi too. In an act of sympathy Ryoko got down beside the crying girl and laid a hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort a fellow warrior. "Hey Red, ya did it! Ya won!"

**  
**Ranma however continued sobbing and mumbled something that sounded like "But… he's… dead…" between sobs.

**  
**At this point she was not caring at all that it was unmanly to cry. Heck, she was not even a man at the moment, just a weak and worthless girl that had allowed that the love of her life had been killed. "I'm… nothing… but… a… stupid… weak… girl!" she exclaimed between sobs and curled up even tighter.

**  
**Ayeka, Tenchi and Katsuhito looked at her with sympathy and the old Shinto priest just wanted to talk some sense into the crying redhead when Ryoko acted. She drew the sobbing redhead towards her. "Hey Red, that's not true. You're a strong warrior who defeated an Android that _we_ could not stop. You ain't weak and you ain't stupid. B'sides, he's _not_ dead." she said and left the 'yet' unspoken…

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	24. Aftermath and Insights

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 24: Aftermath and Insights**

**  
**What Ryoko had said got Ranma to her feet faster than even the promise of food could ever have. "WHAT? He's _not _dead? But… but…he had no pulse…or breathing… and he was so…so…cold!"

**  
**Katsuhito laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Ranma, that was probably just the shock from the wounds. Washu-chan is taking care of him and she is giving it her best." he said in a calm and pacifying voice and with more confidence than he truly felt. Like Ranma he could not feel an aura from Kasumi at the moment and he had no idea what it meant. "You can have complete faith in Washu, Ranma. If there's anyone that can help him then it's Washu."

**  
**Ranma however was not to be pacified. "I want to go to him! I want to see him!" she exclaimed.

**  
**The old Shinto priest wanted to stop her but Ryoko knew what the other warrior was going through. With a nod at Ranma she teleported the two of them directly into the lab. When they reappeared Ranma knew instantly where they were and impulsively she hugged Ryoko. "Thank you!" she exclaimed and left a surprised Ryoko standing.

**  
**The redhead sprinted towards where she knew the medi-lab to be, a recovered Ryoko hot on her heels. The alien girl knew the safety procedures and she had to make sure that Red followed them before they entered the medi-lab. Thus she caught the other girl just in time to stop her. "Red, we need to put those suits on." she said and pointed to an array of protective clothing. "The medi-lab needs to remain sterile and Washu would kill us if we entered in our normal clothes."

**  
**Ranma nodded as she saw the need to do so. She practically teleported into a set of protective clothing and impatiently waited for Ryoko to finish. She could not enter the lab on her own as obviously some sort of security was active. "Do you know the code?" she asked her companion.

**  
**Ryoko shook her head. "Nope, but I can teleport us in now. Without the suits it just wasn't an option." she said, grabbed Ranma's hand and teleported them in.

**  
**What Ranma saw next nearly turned her stomach over. Her love was lying on a bio-bed that was now serving as an operation table and a lot of cables and tubes were attached to him. Washu had not noticed their arrival and was working frantically on her patient. The expression on her face did not raise her hopes.

**  
**Finally Ranma could not stand it any longer and made their presence known. "Washu-chan, how is he?" she asked without preamble.

**  
**Washu nearly dropped the med-scanner she had been holding and grabbed her heart. "Holy shit! Did you have to scare me shitless?" she exclaimed, breathed heavily, visibly catching herself.

**  
**"How is he?" Ranma urged again.

**  
**A professional mask appeared on Washu's face. "He's not so good at the moment. When he came in he had several broken ribs where the blast hit; in addition to that a rip had punctured his lung on the left side and he suffered second degree burns. Unsurprisingly he had massive internal bleeding and trauma." she listed, keeping the fact that he had been clinical dead upon his arrival from the other redhead.

**  
**Both Ranma and Ryoko had grimaced. The two of them had, unbeknownst to each other suffered from a lot of severe injuries throughout their lives and they knew that things were bad. Sensing that Ranma's emotional control was about to slip the ex-space pirate asked "And what's the good news?"

**  
**Washu managed a weak smile. "The good news as you so eloquently dubbed it is that I have stabilised him and he is still alive. But barely. The bad news is that he has lost a large amount of blood and I need to replace it; as you well know not even the regeneration-tank can't be of use in a case like this. To make matters worse I discovered in my examinations that his blood-type is very rare and I can't synthesise it on such a short notice. Normally I have a good supply of plasma at hand but after the last incidents I ran short and had no time to replace it. That's now coming back to haunt me. There's also no way to get his relatives who might have the same blood-type here in time. The normal way would take much too long and making a sub-space connection to their place is out of the question too; the calculations and preparations would just take too long." she said with a pout.

**  
**Ranma had a look of horror on her face. At first she had been overjoyed that her love was still alive but now he could still die because they had no blood available? That could not be! That must not be! "Washu-chan, please test my blood-type. If I can I'll donate as much as possible! I want him to live! I want to tell him that I love him!" she exclaimed with tears running down her face.

**  
**She did not care that she'd been taught to believe that crying was weak her whole life; all that she did care about was lying on this operation table... her Yoshiro, the one she loved more than life itself. All that prevented her from collapsing there and then was her iron will and hope.

**  
**The redheaded scientist nodded in understanding; she had already tried the blood-types of all member of this house and had drawn a blank each time. And the chances that Ranma had the same blood-type were slim but other miracles had happened before.

**  
**Before Ranma knew Washu had ordered her to take the protective suit off which the redhead had done all too gladly; then Washu-chan extracted a blood sample from her and began testing it. While she was doing this she muttered to herself. "A true miracle that he's still alive… even with my genius and my apparatuses… had he been a she, he would have been dead!"

**  
**That raised Ranma's brows into her hairline. Kasumi would have been dead if he had taken that blast as a female? Thank Kami-sama for the curse! But hadn't her love been cursed they'd never come here and nothing would have happened! Oh, that was all so darn confusing at the moment!

**  
**But one thing remained clear in her mind: her love had to survive! She wanted to say him how much she loved him, she wanted to have children with him and grow old with him. He just could not die! He must not die! Ranma could do little against the tears that were still streaming down her face and she was thankful as Ryoko laid a supporting hand on her shoulder.

**  
**Even warriors were allowed to cry and experience support when needed; that was what the gesture Ryoko made stated. For the first time in her life Ranma understood this and accepted the support and encouragement Ryoko gave her. It was a simple message: you're not alone in this. It was a damn good feeling.

**  
**But all the support in the world would do her no good if they didn't find a way to replace the blood her love had lost. Soon they'd know if the day would end in a miracle or a disaster…

**  
**-.-

**  
**Finally the time of waiting was over. "I'll be!" Washu exclaimed. "You really _have_ the same blood-type! Who would have thought that? Damn, the chances of winning in the lottery are higher than that! But it is true! I triple-checked and the two of you have both bloodtype 0 negative!" she exclaimed excited, only to become very thoughtful.

**  
**Then she shook her head. "I have to compare it to my scans of you two once this crisis is over but I could have sworn that you had a different bloodtype before… at least I'm sure it was different in your birthforms. But now you two have the same in your cursed forms. Could it be that your curses interacted on a molecular level which resulted in the same bloodtype in your cursed forms? Or did you always have this bloodtype and it only changed spontaneously in Kasumi just now? Bwahahahaha! And yet something more for the great Washu to uncover!" she exclaimed before sobering up again. "Ahem. This fortunate revelation will make it easy for you two to have children; at least in your cursed forms." she said with a cackle that made Ranma blush despite the serious situation. "And it will most assuredly save my patient. Although your blood, Ranma, has a strange factor in it which I can not determinate as of yet."

**  
**Inwardly Ranma jubilated but she still remained cautious. "Could it harm my love?"

**  
**Washu shook her head. "I'm 99 percent sure that it won't. Though I have no idea what it will do, if it will do anything at all; from my scans I know that it's dormant and the chance that it gets transferred are minimal. It's probably harmless anyway but we'll check on it later. First of all we have to save a patient! So take those stupid suits off so that we can do just that!" she exclaimed.

**  
**"Hear, hear." Ryoko said and patted Ranma on the back. "See, Red, everything will turn out A-okay."

**  
**Ranma smiled at her fellow warrior and nodded while she got out of the suit and rolled up her sleeve once she was done. "Thanks, demon woman." she said softly.

**  
**"Anytime, freak." Ryoko countered playfully.

**  
**Washu on her part shook her head in something akin to mirth while she prepared everything for the blood donation. She readied another bio-bed and wheeled it beside her patient. The necessary preparations were soon made anda little while later blood was flowing from Ranma's veins into the veins of her love.

**  
**Although it hurt somewhat and was darn uncomfortable Ranma smiled for she knew that her blood would save her love. Little did she know that it would also have other effects…

**  
**Several hours later Ranma was still lying on the bio-bed, and due to her senses she could feel how the blood was flowing out of her. The receiving party was none other than the love of her life, a certain Kasumi Tendo, oldest child of one Soun Tendo.

**  
**She or rather he for Kasumi was at present locked in male form due to a special magical soap had nearly died when he had tried to save Ranma from an incoming energy blast fired by an evil Android. Inwardly Ranma asked herself why he had done it. The blast would have done much less damage on her. It just made no sense to her. "I don't understand it…" she muttered to herself. "Why did he do it?"

**  
**Ryoko who had returned to the lab some minutes prior and was sitting nearby to watch over her fellow warrior/rival picked up at this. "What do ya mean, Red?" the cyan-haired alien asked.

**  
**The redhead fixated her vision on the older girl. She had not realised that she had said that out loud but now it did not matter, did it? She could as well discuss it with someone who'd listen instead of the walls. "Kasumi, I mean. Why did he do it? Why did he jump in front of this blast when I had a much better chance to survive it? I just don't get it."

**  
**Ryoko smiled. Not her usual smirk but a genuine smile. Yes, apparently the two of them had a lot in common for Ranma seemed to be as thick-headed as she was from time to time. "Do ya really hafta ask that, Red? Come on, it's glaringly obvious!" she stated.

**  
**Ranma on her part still did not get it. "What do you mean?" she asked confused.

**  
**Washu who had heard their conversation came over. Now that the vital signs of her patient were steadily improving she had time for small talk. "What my daughter is hinting at is that he did what he did because he loves you. He wanted to protect his mate and therefore jumped into harms way. Logical thought or rational thought was out of gear at that time as instincts had taken over, Ranma. It also does not matter that he is a cursed woman; at that moment in time he was a man protecting the woman he loves."

**  
**The redhead thought about that. "You mean he did what he did because he wanted to shelter me with his body? Even though I could've taken the blast a lot better?" she asked incredulous and stopped to think.

**  
**Damn, that actually made sense! She remembered how Kasumi had talked about the testosterone levels in couples and that they reached equilibrium in both the male and the female to make them most compatible. Obviously due to their dual nature Kasumi had still had had more than enough testosterone in his system to act upon male instincts. One of these instincts was apparently to protect the mate at all costs which he had done.

**  
**He had risked more than his own hide for her and this act of selflessness and love brought a fresh bout of tears to her eyes. She did not care that it was unmanly to cry; the stupid panda and his manliness crap could go screw himself for all she cared. Kasumi loved her and this had been the ultimate proof; even if it had nearly killed him. Her resolve was reaffirmed. She would tell him that she loved him and that as soon as possible. **'Why not right here and now? We're lying near enough together and I have read somewhere that even people in coma can hear when others are talking to them. Yes…' **

**  
**Carefully so as not to endanger the transfusion process Ranma reached with her hand for the bigger hand of Kasumi-otoko and grasped it into her smaller hand. She gave a firm squeeze and tears fell down her face when she was finally able to utter the words "I _love_ you, Ka-kun. I love you more than words could ever say. That was the most stupid thing I ever saw that you did for me but also the bravest. I love you and I never want you to leave me. And don't you ever dare doing something this stupid again!" she exclaimed while a tear rolled down her cheek.

**  
**She could not be sure but Ranma thought she saw the ghost of a smile on his face. However, the sound of a chair being overthrown alerted her to other things. "What the heck?" Ryoko exclaimed. "Mother, come over here pronto!"

**  
**That Washu did. If Ryoko called her mother than something had to be up. And the eyes of the diminutive scientist widened at what she saw. Ranma had not noticed it herself and why was clear for she had been too fixated on her love. "I'll be!" Washu exclaimed and produced a scanning device from her lab-coat in which she had slipped after the operation had been over. "Damn, I dunno how but something magic-related is happening here. But I can't say what. Damn, this is fascinating!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Ranma had a startled expression on her face. Now she noticed the pale-red glow herself but she had no idea what it meant. Instinctively she guessed that it had something to do with the curse magic. She had the distinct feeling that it was acting like some kind of… bridge along with the transfusion. But for what?

**  
**Whatever the outcome would be she could not even guess. It seemed as if they'd have to ride it out. "I see what ya mean, Washu-chan. But we can't stop the transfusion if we want to save him so we gotta take the chance. Ya said yerself that it ain't something bad what with my blood-factor. I say we gotta cross the bridge when we hafta."

**  
**Washu nodded and then grinned at her daughter. "She talks just as bad as you do when she's under pressure."

**  
**"What!" both girls exclaimed in stereo. "I have nothing in common with her!"

**  
**Both looked at each other and mock-glared while a certain scientist fell over laughing. Ranma and Ryoko looked at each other and nodded. Their revenge would be dreadful!

**  
**-.-

**  
**Finally visitors were allowed when Kasumi-otoko was stable; three very worried figures entered the medi-lab in protective suits. Washu had already told them that Kasumi would survive but that it had been by a hairbreadth. Naturally everyone had been relieved but the real worries only ever evaporated when one saw visual proof.

**  
**Thus a heavy load was taken off the minds of Katsuhito, Tenchi and Ayeka when they had their visual proof that Ranma was alright and equally important that Kasumi was alive and improving. The blood-donation was really helping and although Ranma was slowly reaching the maximum amount of blood she could donate it would be enough. It was a close call but it would be sufficient.

**  
**Katsuhito had decided that Mihoshi and Sasami could visit their guests later on and the girls had complied. The three of them were probably more than enough at present. Tenchi was the first to step to the bedside of Ranma. "Hey Ranma. I'm glad that he'll survive, buddy. You can't believe how glad." he said with a smile.

**  
**Ranma, who was by now a bit weak and light-headed due to bloodless smiled. "Me too, pal, me too. But from now on call me Ránmā. Now… I'm Ránmā …" she said and fell asleep.

**  
**Tenchi directed an alarmed gaze at Washu but Katsuhito put a pacifying hand on the shoulder of his grandson. He had sensed from her aura that she had just fallen asleep. "Don't worry Tenchi, Ránmā just feel asleep from exhaustion and bloodloss." he reassured, instantly using Ranma's chosen name for her female half.

**  
**The young man nodded relieved as Washu came over. "Oh, so you're a doctor now, Yosho? Want to take over?" she asked in jest.

**  
**Katsuhito waved it aside with a smile. "Kami-sama forbid." he said in mock-indignation. "I would never dare to steal your patients, Washu-chan. I know what is good for my health…" he said, muttering the last part.

**  
**Washu mock-glared at him. "I should not think so!" she said before sobering up. "But now to more serious matters. The Android that attacked us was one of Dr. Clays as you will have guessed. However the model was very advanced as was obvious; it is my presumption that this Android was his trump card in case he got caught or killed. It was probably activated through a timer and executed its programmed mission after it had 'heard' nothing from its master for a specified amount of time. But unlike Zero this Android had no emotions or conscience. I suspect that Clay made some experimentation on Zero that turned out different than he thought but with our attacker he obviously stuck to the schematics of an emotionless Android. That he gave it the appearance of Ryoko also figures and was easy to achieve. Furthermore this Android was powerful enough for both types of assault, the direct approach or infiltration."

**  
**She paused to take in a breath. "As you saw this Android was also equipped with a device to block the power of the Light Hawk wings, something I thought impossible prior. But from what I've learned I can say that the Light Hawk wings behave like ki and therefore they _can_ be blocked. I'm still busy with finding a counter to this but maybe Ranma can help us in that regard." she said. Then her face grew very serious. "We have to be very cautious in the next few months. Something is up and I believe it possible that this Android was only a test, a vanguard. Had it not been for our sleeping beauty here and the warning of Tsunami it might even have succeeded. For had especially Tsunami not warned us I might not have deployed the upgraded sensors that gave us at least some advance warning. Oh Yosho, did Tsunami gather enough of the fight by watching through Sasami?"

**  
**Katsuhito grimaced. He had not liked the idea that Sasami had stayed so close to the front-line but in the end he had given in to Tsunami's wishes. "That she did. However, if you're asking how the Android was able to block the wings, not even she has any idea. But she wants to meet Ranma as soon as she has the opportunity. Tsunami was quite impressed with her; but I'd appreciate it if Sasami could hide out in your lab next time, Lil' Washu. That was far too dangerous, even with Mihoshi and me guarding her. You know as well as I do that she won't come into her powers for quite some time." he said in a slightly scolding tone.

**  
**Washu had the decency to look a tad bit dejected. "I didn't like the idea either, Yosho. But seeing as everything turned out well I don't see the need to reflect on the past. Rather we have to be prepared in the future. Aside from you only Ranma here was able to differ between the fake and the real Ryoko. Had she not been here it would only have had to overcome you, Yosho and all would have been lost."

**  
**The assessment of the genius scientist caused nodding heads and serious faces all around. "Yeah, I was not even able to hit the beast!" Tenchi exclaimed. "That darn thing was so fast that it made me boil. And my power was completely useless. Little Washu, we must find a way to counter this block or to overcome this device. As soon as the Android was destroyed I was able to use the Light Hawk wings again but it would not do for me to be useless in a fight."

**  
**"Same here." said Ryoko. "I'd say its time Red here taught us how to become faster and better, eh?"

**  
**Tenchi looked at her and nodded with a grin. "Yeah, she's something else, isn't she? Even if she's a girl right now she's definitely Ranma. He never gave up and always fought till the end. And I must say that _she_ was downright scary after Kasumi here got nearly killed. She was like some fury or something." he stated.

**  
**Everyone nodded. It was Katsuhito who spoke. "Ranma loves Kasumi very much. When she thought that the Android had killed him she snapped and nothing held her back. I must admit that I was afraid that she might have been gone too far but luckily this fear has proven to be unfounded. She is a deeply caring person, one of the bravest warriors I have met as of yet. She is very much like her mother! Nodoka can be proud of her."

**  
**"You… you know my mother?" a voice asked from the bio-bed.

**  
**"Hey! You're awake again! Good!" Tenchi exclaimed. He had sensed that his grandfather did not want to answer this question right now and sought to distract his redheaded friend.

**  
**It was however not working. If Ranma was a master in one thing then in tactics; and she sensed right away what her friend had in mind. "Yes. Could you please get me a glass of water, Tenchi?"

**  
**Tenchi nodded. "Sure, pal. Be right back." he said and Washu made a door to the living quarters of the lab through which he disappeared.

**  
**Now that they were undisturbed Ranma asked again while the other girls smiled at how Ranma had played Tenchi. "You know my mother, Master Katsuhito?" she asked formally.

**  
**The Shinto Priest sat down beside Ranma as everyone looked at him. "Yes." he finally admitted. "I know your mother. Very well, in fact. As I see that you will not be distracted I will tell you the whole story although I would have liked it better to tell it at a later date. But alas, such is fate." the old priest said with a slight smile and looked into the round. "Washu, could you produce some seating-accommodations for us? Thank you." he said at her nod.

**  
**Washu just jumped upwards and suddenly sat in a floating chair. Nanoseconds later a keyboard appeared in thin air and the genius began typing away. Soon she had produced six comfy looking armchairs practically out of thin air; fact that made another redhead boggle.

**  
**Ayeka saw the look on her face and smiled while she claimed one of the armchairs; Ryoko did the same. "Think nothing of it, Ranma. She does that all the time."

**  
**The Saotome girl nodded, her eyes still somewhat wide. Apparently the impossible was normal around here she thought to herself as she looked at the winking Washu. "I have notified Sasami and Mihoshi to come to the lab. Although I'm quite certain that I will regret it in Mihoshi's case…" the redheaded genius muttered. "10,000 to 1 that she'll destroy something…"

**  
**Everyone politely pretended not to have heard the last part and waited patiently for the others to arrive. Tenchi was the first to come back and he carried a tray with a bottle of water and a glass. Looking into the round he noticed the comfy armchairs and the youth knew instantly that his grandfather had lost to Ranma.

**  
**They only ever got the armchairs out if he had a story to tell and it seemed that Ranma or rather Ranma had convinced him to do just that. Shrugging to himself he filled the glass with water and gave it to his friend. Ranma smiled in thanks and carefully gulped the water down.

**  
**Before Katsuhito began Washu interrupted and removed the transfusion unit as Ranma had reached the maximum amount of blood she could donate without risking her own health. Upon seeing the look the other redhead was giving her Washu nodded in reassurance. "It was enough, Ranma. He'll make it and he won't even have any scars left."

**  
**Those were the best news she had heard the whole day and the smile Ranma had on her face could have lit up a black hole in its intensity. "Thank you, Washu-chan, for everything." she said in gratefulness.

**  
**Washu smiled back. "Thank _you_ for kicking the ass of that Android. Without you we would have been toast."

**  
**"Yeah, Red, she's absolutely right. Once you get better you gotta show me how to make these cool energy attacks. And I will show you how to make a sword with your energy and how to fly properly." Ryoko said.

**  
**Ranma smiled. "I'll take you up on that offer, demon woman." she answered.

**  
**Tenchi and Ayeka also butted in as both wanted to learn those techniques too. As both also had to offer new techniques to learn Ranma was fast to agree. She would have done it without their counteroffers anyway but learning new stuff had never hurt.

**  
**After Ranma had drunk a good amount of water mixed with a substance to replenish her blood faster she felt loads better; somewhat restored which was also due to her extraordinary constitution and toughness, Katsuhito was finally ready to begin his tale.

**  
**Sasami together with Ryo-Ohki and Mihoshi (who had indeed managed to demolish a device or the other of Washu's) had joined them too and after expressing their happiness about how everything had turned out for the better they too listened with rapt attention. "I came to know your mother when she was 14, Ranma. It was at a Kendo-tournament in Kobe, a city in the neighbouring prefecture Hyogo. I noticed her talent right away, Ranma; you must know that I only ever taught the family style to family members as per the requirements of a family style." he said with a smile. "But your mother was an exception. She was a raw diamond and I sensed some kind of connection between us. It was her love for the sword as well as something else. You know of us Juraians, back then I suspected your mother to have some Juraian blood in her veins. I could never prove it till this day and it does not really matter. What matters is that she became my apprentice." he said and took a sip from his own glass of water.

**  
**Ranma nodded in understanding. Someone had to have taught her mother the way of the sword after all. It was a comforting thought that it had been someone as nice as Katsuhito. Said old priest cleared his throat and continued his tale. "As I had surmised your mother turned out to be very good. She soaked up knowledge like a sponge and never needed much time to master a move. Her parents lived in Himeji at that time so she did not have to travel too far. In the following two years she continued to learn my style and I can rightfully say that she became a master at it. When she turned 16 she was able to achieve the master and she would also have been able to reach even greater heights. But that was the time when she met your father. It was an arranged marriage and it will not come as a surprise that I did not approve of Genma. He was 20 and already much like he seems to be today. Nodoka knew of my dislike for Genma and she wrested the promise from me that I would never harm him. She had seen that I had been hard pressed not to teach him a lesson and scare him away from your mother but Kami-sama knows why, she loved the fool."

**  
**The redheaded girl nodded as she absorbed the information. It was nice to learn of the background of her mother for a change. In the wake of everything that had happened lately she never had had the time or occasion to sit down with her mother to learn her background.

**  
**Maybe she should do just that when she came back, sit down with mom and have a good heart-to-heart talk. "It is nice to know that mom had such a good teacher. I can also understand why you did not approve of stupid pop. If he was anything like he is today back then I can not fault you; and I bet that you regretted your promise many times, huh?"

**  
**The others watched as a lot of emotions ran over Katsuhito's face; fact that was quite odd and made them thoughtful for they had never seen their mentor so emotional. "I admit that I was more than once hard pressed not to slice your stupid oaf of a father in half. To tell you the truth, I was overjoyed for Nodoka when she was pregnant with you. It seemed that your idiotic father had done at least one thing right in his life. In hindsight and with you here now I can rightfully claim that he did." he said with a smile as he ruffled the redheads' hair in an unusual display of affection. "Your mother was like a daughter for me and I'd like to be somewhat of a grandfatherly figure for you, Ranma. It might be due to your curse but you are the granddaughter I never had."

**  
**That brought tears to Ranma's eyes but this time it were tears of joy. She never had had the feeling of being so welcome before and the thought of having a grandfather, even if it was not her real grandfather, was more than heart warming for the redhead. "I'd love to, grandfather." she said with a smile as she wiped her tears away.

**  
**Everyone present was hard-pressed to suppress the 'Ohhs' and 'Ahhs' when Katsuhito gave Ranma a half-hug; half because Ranma was still lying on the bio-bed. Tenchi smiled at his childhood friend and was very happy for the boy-turned-girl. In his opinion it was high time that things were going Ranma's way. His friend deserved love and friendship for a change where before had only been mistrust and constant vigilance. He was also very proud of his grandfather who had once more managed to surprise him.

**  
**Ayeka on her part was also proud of her half-brother. What he had done could only be described as the most empathic thing she had witnessed in a long time. And with her being over 700 years old that meant something. But one thing lurked in the back of her mind, one question bothered her. What if Nodoka Saotome had indeed Juraian blood in her?

**  
**Ryoko on her part was happy for the redhead too. Ranma was really someone who had proven herself as a warrior. She had stood up to a force that Tenchi and she had hardly been able to lay hands on and she had actually emerged victorious against all odds.

**  
**When the person she loved had been (nearly) killed she had shown that she did not give in and had fought on with a vengeance. Her display of power had been truly awe-inspiring and Ryoko would do her best to never get onto her bad side. Those tornados she had fired at her look-alike had been really something else! Not to mention the huge red energy wave that had finally destroyed Clay's evil Android.

**  
**The cyan-haired alien was also glad that Ranma finally had found the safe harbour that even a warrior needed. No one could exist without the support of love and friendship; and gauging from what she knew of Ranma's life up till now she had had few real friends and way too much foes or at least rivals. No one deserved such a life and she vowed to pay the main root for Ranma's many problems a 'goodwill visit' in the near future.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Finally Washu had thrown everyone beside Katsuhito out of the med-lab. The Shinto priest wanted to remain behind to tell Ranma a few more things about her mother and the redhead was more than glad to just listen and ask questions for a change. …"you know, you look very much like your mother did at your age. And you're just as talented." the old man said with a smile.

**  
**Ranma blushed and uttered a small "Thank you." while she still held the hand of her love. His breathing was regular and Washu had more than once reassured her that everything was alright with him and that he was healing. Tomorrow he could be moved into the rejuvenation tank and in a few days he would be restored to as good as new.

**  
**This information alone had made Ranma the happiest woman on the planet. Ever since that had happened to Kasumi she had not once thought about her gender or the lock on the curse; she had just been a normal woman, a female warrior. Maybe that was what her mother had meant with her being both sides of the coin. The feeling she had had before was slowing fading; before she had always had a feeling of her phantom-manliness, as if she still had had her male equipment despite being in a woman's body. Maybe she was now really on the way to becoming both…

**  
**At the moment she did not care much and repressed these thoughts for later analysis. Just listening to Katsuhito talking about her mother was taxing enough. She had had a very tiring, no downright exhausting day but hearing about her mother kept her awake and the sleep at bay. From him she'd learned more about her mother than she ever had from her own father. This was kind of sad, actually. A husband should be proud of his wife, especially towards his own children. If that was not the case what was the marriage worth?

**  
**Inwardly cursing her stupid oaf of a father for being such an idiot towards her mother she tuned her attention back to Katsuhito. The old man smiled at her and she noticed that he had apparently waiting for her to snap out of her musings. The realisation made her blush. "Sorry, I spaced off a bit."

**  
**The smile on Katsuhito's face deepened. "Think nothing of it, Ranma. I'm an old man; I have all the time in the world. Especially considering my age." he said in jest.

**  
**The redheaded girl nodded. "I still can barely believe that you are over 2,000 years old! How much you must have seen…" she mused.

**  
**Katsuhito nodded sagely. "Yes, that I have. Some things good, some things bad. But if I have learned one thing in my long existence, than that things tend to balance out. Look at your parents for example. Normally your mother would balance the stupidity of your father out and I suspect that is now the case once more. Probably more than ever." he said with a slight smile.

**  
**Ranma nodded. "You can count on it, grandpa. Knowing mom she'll discipline stupid pops with her katana. Kami-sama knows that the idiot deserves it." she grumbled.

**  
**The old Shinto priest nodded once more. "I should think so." he said with a smile. "Things tend to balance each other out. Look at you. You are the perfect example for it. Due to a twist of fate you became both man and woman. Only now you are starting to balance yourself out and don't you feel much better already now that the process has finally begun?"

**  
**The Saotome girl thought for a moment before answering. "It is true, isn't it? Now that I have started to accept this half of me as a part of me and nothing separate I have started to become more than I was. Whoa, that is deep stuff. I really gotta think about that one." she said to herself.

**  
**Katsuhito smiled. "You do that, granddaughter. But everything at the proper time."

**  
**Ranma nodded as she mirrored his smile, yawned once and finally fell asleep. The old Shinto priest still smiled as he pulled one of the blankets Washu had provided over her. He ruffled her hair in an affectionate way once more. "Sleep well, Ranma. Kami-sama knows that you deserve the rest." he said and left the lab.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Next morning Ranma awoke with a splitting headache that told her that she should take in some fluid real soon. But her first vista was reserved for her love; unsurprisingly she panicked when she noticed that the bio-bed beside her was utterly empty.

**  
**A soothing voice however brought her out of her panic. "Don't worry, granddaughter. He's is as safe as can be. Little Washu moved him into the regeneration tank two hours ago. We did not want to wake you as you needed the rest to restore your energies. Kasumi is healing and in a few days he'll be up and about again, as good as new. Lil' Washu could not say how long it would take for him to heal but she was sure that it would not be longer than a week."

**  
**Relieved and with a thankful expression on her face Ranma sunk back onto the bio-bed. She could not believe that she had panicked so much but surmised that it was understandable considering what she had been through. Apparently Cologne had been right; the emotional make-up of girls was vastly different but she was not ashamed of herself. She had nearly lost the love of her life for good and crying because of that was not weak. "Thank you, grandfather. You wouldn't believe how relieved I am to hear this. For a short moment I thought something bad had happened. Thanks for easing my worries."

**  
**The old Shinto Priest smiled at her. "You're welcome. Do you feel strong enough for getting up and enjoying a late breakfast with an old man?"

**  
**Ranma smiled back. "Sure, but I don't see an old man here anywhere." she jested.

**  
**Now that she knew that her love was okay her mood had improved considerably. It had been one hell of a day yesterday but it seemed that everything had turned out for the better. Granted, that her love had been nearly killed had been one of the worst moments in her life if not _the_ worst moment but all that mattered was that Kasumi was safe and sound now.

**  
**In addition she had now a grandfather, even if it was not a real, meaning biological grandfather; and that meant a lot to her. Also, it seemed as if some kind of warrior-bond had formed between her and Ryoko. Ever since after the fight between them their relationship had vastly improved and apparently her fight against the Android had been final proof of her worth. All in all not bad, she mused. Without help Ranma got up from her bio-bed without any problems and together the two left the lab.

**  
**Ranma and Katsuhito had settled down in the living room a few minutes later. Sasami had provided vast quantities of food as a precaution and the redhead was thankful for it. She was so hungry like never before in her life and dug in with gusto.

**  
**Katsuhito ate his share but of course it paled verily in comparison to what Ranma packed away. The amount she consumed was not surprising considering as well the amount of energy she had used up in the fight as well as the amount of blood she had donated to save her love. The potion to replenish her blood had already done a good job but the food was needed just as much.

**  
**After half an hour of eating and drinking straight Ranma was finally filled. The Saiyans from Dragonball Z could not have packed away more and would probably have been proud to welcome her in their midst. Katsuhito on his part had busied himself with the paper of today and enjoyed his third coffee.

**  
**Seeing that Ranma was finished he took a sip, placed his cup on the table and cleared his throat. "I made two promises to your mother, Ranma." he began. "The first promise I made was that should I ever meet you I would _not_ teach my family art to you. This promise also contained that I would never exert any influence on your life; why I will explain soon. However this promise becomes invalid per our agreement if you yourself ever met me and asked me to. And here you are now." he said with a smile. "You are truly Nodoka's child and you inherited all of her talent and then some, Ranma. You have become so powerful that I can rightfully train you in my family art if you wish so." he said with pride obvious on his face. Then his expression darkened. "The other promise I made was that I would never harm your father in any way, as I already mentioned before."

**  
**Ranma looked dumbfounded for a moment before she gathered her bearings. Silently she helped herself to yet another cup of tea before asking the question she had. "Why did mom wrench these promises from you, grandfather?"

**  
**The old Shinto priest smiled a sad smile in answer. "Your mother is a brilliant woman and an excellent sword-fighter. She recognised fast that the higher and more complicated moves of the Juraian sword style are designed to kill; it's an Art of war after all. Nodoka on her part recognised that sometimes the need would arise were she rather had to kill an opponent than to disable or disarm him or her; but she never wanted for _you_ to have to kill someone. If it had been up to her you would not have become a martial artist at all so that you'd never have to make a life-or-death decision. Yet you were the only heir to the Saotome school and as such your mother gave in when your father demanded that you be trained as a martial artist. Especially when you showed so much potential already at a very young age."

**  
**The redhead looked dumbfounded. "Mom is really an excellent sword-fighter? Hmm," she said and raised a hand to her chin, "when I met mom first she was rather clumsy with her katana. In fact she nearly un-manned me with it. Boy was I glad that I was a girl at that time. Wait… was that… was that all some kind of deceit?"

**  
**Katsuhito's eyes gleamed with mirth. Ranma was indeed the child of Nodoka. "I see that you're as clever as your mother, Ranma." he said with a smile. "One integral part of my sword-style is to never reveal it to anyone outside from a battle; that's why your mother acts clumsy when non-combatants are around her. Not so that she would accidentally harm anyone around her but so that it is convincing. You would not believe how long it took her to act the klutzy part convincingly. She was just too talented." he said as he smiled in remembrance.

**  
**Ranma boggled. "Mom is hiding what she's really got up her sleeve? Damn she's more like me than I would have ever thought… and I never guessed a thing!" she exclaimed excitedly. Then she sobered up as her interest had been picked. "Is your style really one of war, grandfather?"

**  
**He nodded solemnly. "Yes. It was invented several millennia ago as a means to defend the Juraian Crown. Our line has been aspirants to the throne for a long time and as thus we had to learn how to defend ourselves. Bodyguards are always a unreliability as they can be overcome or bribed. That's why the family style was developed. The sword-style accommodates best to our natural Juraian powers but your mother was more than talented enough to learn it even without having these powers." he said and paused to take a sip from his coffee.

**  
**"That is also why she wrenched this promise from me." he continued. "She herself trained in an Art meant to kill while your father also was a disciple in an Art of war. In fact the Anything Goes Style is nothing but an Art of war but largely without the component of having to kill your opponent. It was the will of your mother that you should never learn my style, Ranma. She never wanted that you would have to kill someone in a battle. Nodoka knew that you were destined to be a martial artist or even a great warrior as you come from a long line of warriors but she wanted to protect you as much as possible. That's why she probably never mentioned me; she did not want her child to become a warrior."

**  
**That remark hit home verily. "But… but now I _have_ already killed someone. Saffron. And even if he regenerated the fact remains that I killed him and meant to do it." she said and looked downwards. "Thanks to my love I have begun to accept that I had no other choice but it still hurts all the same. I took a life when my Art is meant to protect people." she said with tears brimming in her eyes. Then she looked up. "I can understand where mom is coming from. Can you tell me what her wishes and dreams for me were? Has she ever talked to you when she was pregnant with me or after my birth?"

**  
**Katsuhito stroked his chin and nodded. "Your mother was 18 when you were conceived and she trained in the family style for the first four months of her pregnancy. Yes, we talked. I was somewhat of a father to your mother as her parents had died when she was 17. As a matter of fact she lived here for quite some time after her parents had died in a car crash. And as far as I know from Nodoka's hopes and wishes for you she wanted you to become as manly as possible. In fact she wanted you to become a real ladies man." he said with a smile, and Ranma joined in, smiling at the irony of it; at the moment she was anything but a ladies man. "Ranma, you might know or not that in Japanese culture the word and ideals of a mother regarding her son have a lot of meaning; but in the regard of the training trip you and your father undertook she lost to your father, obviously."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "You can say that again. Sometimes I think that he just wanted to use the trip to create some sorta legacy; Ranma Saotome, his ultimate tribute to the Art. Stupid pops. But ya mean ta say that mother could have raised me to be as manly as possible because her word over me had so much meaning? Is that maybe why stupid pops took me and ran away with me for over ten years and just left that stupid contract behind? Did he really fear that mother would 'corrupt' me and make me into some kind of playboy?" she asked more to herself than anyone.

**  
**The old Shinto priest looked thoughtful once more before answering. "I believe that your oaf of a father thought and feared just that. By running away with you and leaving on such a long journey he wanted to minimise the danger that your mother could take part in your upbringing. I kept the contact with your mother even after you were born and when I learned from her that your father had ran away with you on a training trip, just leaving this darn contract behind I was furious and ready to hunt your father down. However, your mother refused to even take the help of her old sensei, me, as she said it was a family matter. She trusted your father that he'd in actuality make you a real man among men, a son she could be proud of. Thus I could only sit back and watch. But I can honestly say that your mother missed you very much, Ranma."

**  
**That came as a major surprise for Ranma. "Wow. You know, when I met mom for the first time she really seemed determined to go through with that stupid contract. I had the feeling that it had become some kind of surrogate for me over the years, something to remember and measure me by. Sometimes I ask myself why mom accepted the contract and let pop leave with me in the first place…"

**  
**Katsuhito smiled sadly from his position across Ranma. "That may sound a bit harsh, granddaughter, but your mother was foolish to accept it. Yet she was only barely over twenty years old and had a lot of… unusual ideas and concepts; thus it is somewhat understandable. You are the child of a martial artist and I can believe that when your father acted manly and determined enough that he had an easy time convincing your mother. The Seppuku contract was just the icing on the cake and should show your mother that she would get something out of the deal. Your father promised to make you the manliest son, a son she could be proud of; and that is probably what made her blind to the fact that she practically surrendered your upbringing to your father. Your mother was a sometimes more emotional and excitable woman and I fear your father exploited this to fulfil his own dreams he had with you. Yet he created a situation that nearly killed you and you can believe me when I say that I am very glad that Nodoka did not hold you to the contract."

**  
**That was a lot to take in and Ranma needed some moments to absorb the information she had just received. **'Yes, mom is indeed one to get excited fast. Especially when it came to manliness and to grandchildren. Though I have the lingering suspicion that mom still wants grandchildren… badly. And I can just believe that stupid pops wanted to leave at all costs so that mom would not spoil me. He was probably already a woman-hating idiot back then and getting away from mom was his way to be free…but to make that idiotic contract because of that… baka oyaji.'** she mused.

**  
**Seeing her introspective mood Katsuhito gave his own opinion. "I think your mother should have never let you leave with your father as every child deserves the motherly influence and love only a caring mother can offer. But Fate had obviously other plans with you and made you a practical test for your mother because of your dual nature. I'm really glad for the two of you that she passed. For had she insisted upon that you were unmanly because of your affliction and would have insisted upon the contract being fulfilled I am sure that Kami-sama would not have judged her gently. The contract your father practically forced upon her might have been _his_ stupid idea but had Nodoka chosen to go through with it she would have been as guilty as he. Yet she did not go through with it and that has more to do with her heart than her sense of honour."

**  
**Ranma thought intently about his words and then she nodded after a while. "Now I understand… I always asked myself _why_ mom deemed the contract fulfilled. With this body I could not meet the wording of the contract as I am and always will be half-female. A girl can hardly be a man among men after all. For how is a girl supposed to be manly? That's why pops and me hid so long from her. Yet the contract stated I'd become a man among men or die. Mom did not deem the contract fulfilled cause she thought me manly enough but cause she loves me." she concluded with a thoughtful expression. "Mom is a real honourable person but in the end her love for me won over her sense of honour, as weird as it was regarding the whole manliness thing."

**  
**Katsuhito paused to think then he nodded. "I believe you're right, Ranma. I suppose that after your mother encountered you face to face for the first time and saw what a wonderful young person you had become despite the upbringing your father provided she must have realised that a piece of paper signed by a five year old and with finger-prints to boot was not as important as her child; regardless if you were male or female. Your mother might have been blinded by her desire for you to become the manliest man alive and your father surely helped that along. But in the end her motherly love won over this desire. That shows especially therein that she let go of her views of manliness and accepted you as your daughter, Ranma. Nodoka loves you, that you can be sure of."

**  
**Ranma smiled at these words which had warmed her heart. She had felt before that her mother really loved her contrary to what stupid pops had always claimed. But to hear something like that from her mother's old sensei, a man who apparently knew her mother well and had kept up with what she had been doing was… heart-warming and comforting. "You… you are right. Mom loves me and that is everything that matters. But stupid pop is so in for it when I see him the next time."

**  
**The day had taken its toll on Ranma and especially on her emotional make-up and a lot of dams had been broken. Despite the conscious knowledge that her mother loved her, fact she had come to know after she had saved her mother from falling into the ocean after the stunt baka oyaji had pulled, there had always been a rest of doubt.

**  
**She had always asked herself why her mother had allowed that she had been taken away from her and why she had apparently never tried to take her back. What Katsuhito had said made perfect sense. Her mother had blindly trusted her father but she had apparently underestimated his unrivalled talent to screw up. Maybe her mother had not known just how much the training of the old lech had screwed him up. Yes, that was most probable.

**  
**The Saotome girl looked up as Katsuhito ruffled her hair. "That she does, Ranma. Nodoka loves you very much and it is good to hear that she let go of her stranger ideas. I'm sure that she would have been an excellent mother had your father given her the chance to take part in your upbringing. But it is safe to assume that you would not be what you are now in such a case. For had the training trip never happened you would probably not be here right now. I think that after your parents were unable to conceive a second child it became somewhat of a fixation for your mother to have the manliest son possible; you were her only child, a son, and as she could not have a daughter she wanted you to be as manly as possible."

**  
**Ranma sweatdropped. "Mom wanted a daughter? Wow I would never have guessed. Man, I guess her concept of manliness and her wish to have a daughter must have really clashed when she found out about the curse! But that means by really becoming both I could fulfil her wish…" she muttered to herself. "Damn, I would never have guessed…" she exclaimed, repeating her words from earlier. But it made perfect sense, seeing the way her mother had always treated 'Ranma Tendo'.

**  
**Katsuhito smiled at her insight. It had indeed been Nodoka's greatest desire to have a daughter and the curse offered her this chance undeniably. However it would not do for Ranma to forget her male half. She might be a girl as of now but she had been born male; that was something she should never forget.

"That is all good and nice, Ranma, but you must not forget the reason _why_ you're undertaking this journey to self-discovery. You are in the process of finding your femininity and as far as I can tell you are making good way. However, regardless of the wishes others have for you never forget that you are both, Ranma. Both a man and a woman; it is essential that you find a balance between the two."

**  
**After thinking about the words of her grandfather she nodded. "Don't worry, grandpa. I will never forget where I'm coming from but I _have_ begun to embrace my femininity; especially after what happened to my love. During the fight with that Android I just did not care that I was a girl. I just was and it felt natural to me; you know for the first time I did not have the feeling any more that I was a foreigner in this body as strange as that may sound. I'm really beginning to realise that I am this girl and I really understand that I'll need these three months to really get used to how the other half lives. I wouldn't have thought it but maybe this body has more to offer than just good looks."

**  
**From across her Katsuhito smiled. It really seemed as if the shock of having Kasumi (or was it Yoshiro now?) nearly killed and the subsequent fight and destruction of Clays new Android had led to a lot of self-discovery for his new granddaughter. And that was good. "I suspect you only used this body before to do something like getting ice-cream for free, am I right, granddaughter?" he asked. At seeing her blush he continued. "I was just playing you, dear. Your insights are very mature and I'm happy that you've started to realise this. However I can only begin to imagine how confused you must be. For most of humanity the gender is a constant yet yours is normally in flux and can change at the drop of some cold liquid. I can imagine that it got too much sometimes; that's probably also why you never fully accepted that you are a girl too. Just ignoring it and changing back was a lot easier than to deal with the knowledge that this body is just as real as your birth form."

**  
**Ranma nodded and sighed. "You hit it right on the dot, grandfather. Sometimes I was really confused and not a few times I felt like I would snap. But after Jusendo, after all the springs formed into one and especially after I learned that there are no cures for the curses and after our journey towards here I have really started to accept this half of me as a part of me. You're right, before I always saw this girl here," she pointed at herself, "as something separate; something to get rid of. Now this has changed and I have actually begun to feel comfortable as a girl. That's also because I know that I won't lose myself and become a girl in mind. I can go as far as I wish yet I'll still remain the same old Ranma Saotome. This is me just as much as my male half is Ranma Saotome. It's quite sad that it nearly took the death of my love to realise this but I will live the next three months as the other side of the coin and I will do my utmost to enjoy it. However I am going to be my kind of girl and not what mom wishes of me."

**  
**The old Shinto Priest nodded sagely and had to hide a grin at Ranma's last statement. "Yes, I fear your mother would go well overboard in her attempt to make you as feminine as possible seeing as she has you now as her daughter." he sighed. "Nodoka means well but sometimes she just can't stop herself. It will be hard on you but you have to make her accept that you have to find your own way in becoming the girl you want to be. From what I know of your life you never had much choice in what happened in your life and in my opinion it is high time that this changed. If necessary I'll take your mother aside and talk some sense into her; believe me I got experience in it."

**  
**The redhead smiled at hearing this. It was good to have supporters. "That would be nice. She needs to understand that I won't wear frilly dresses or anything; if anything I'm going to be somewhat of a tomboy. Kami-sama forbid that I have to act like a lady!" she exclaimed and threw her hands into the air in mock-exasperation.

**  
**Katsuhito laughed. "Well, that's something that can't be avoided completely, granddaughter. Society expects girls to act in a certain way and as you found out for yourself you are as much a girl as you are a boy. Granted, as far as I know girls have some leeway and are allowed to act tomboyish for a certain amount of time but you have to learn how to behave properly. I believe my half-sister Ayeka could be of help in that regard. If anyone knows how to act lady-like than she." he said with a smile. "Keep in mind that you can take the knowledge she offers and adapt it for your use. Just see it as a kind of technique that you adapt to your needs after you have learned the basics. After all, learning behaviour is nothing more than learning a set of rules; not unlike what we do when we learn a scroll. We learn the rules of the technique and once we got the basics down we can modify them. I hope that makes sense to you."

**  
**The Saotome girl thought once more about what her grandfather had said. Indeed it made perfect sense to her and seeing it as some kind of technique she had to learn helped. "I understand, grandpa." she said and then a smile graced her face. "I ask myself why no one ever thought to invent Martial Arts Behavioural improvement for tomboy's classes." she jested.

**  
**The old Shinto priest smiled. "Maybe because it has yet to be invented?" he asked innocently.

**  
**The redhead laughed. "That may indeed be the case. And the great Ranma Saotome together with Ayeka Jurai will do just that." she exclaimed pompously. Then she sobered up. "That reminds me. How are the others? I had no chance to talk to anyone about the fight."

**  
**Katsuhito smiled at the care in her voice. "Everyone is fine, Ranma. But I admit had it not been for you things would have probably gone very differently. As you already guessed that thing that attacked us was an Android. In fact it was apparently sent by the same man who tried to kill us all some months ago. Dr. Clay. However this model was a lot more powerful than Zero, the Android he sent out first. In contrast to Zero the Android you defeated had no emotions I could sense. It was just a machine programmed for death and destruction. Little Washu is currently investigating the matter and knowing her she'll come up with results soon."

**  
**Ranma looked thoughtful and stroked her chin. "Grandpa… did you _expect_ an attack?" she asked bluntly.

**  
**That surprised Katsuhito. "What makes you think that?"

**  
**The redhead was still looking thoughtful as she gnawed on all the pieces of the puzzle before her. "I have some pointers. First that communication device went off and you were away for at least ten minutes. Then, when the attack occurred every single fighter of this household was already on guard and waiting outside while the non-combatants were hiding in the house. Just Kasumi and me were upstairs and left in the dark; out of the way, so to speak. Those are all pointers in the direction that you expected an attack." she finished.

**  
**Katsuhito was once more impressed with the abilities his new granddaughter possessed. Finally he nodded. "You're right, Ranma. We were warned by Tsunami that an attack was impending. As you know, Dr. Clay is currently in custody of the Galaxy Police and will serve a long-term sentence for his various crimes. However Tsunami detected that somehow an Android of Clays' had become active; Tsunami was however unable to interfere as this Android had boarded a high-warp spaceship and was heading straight for the third planet of the sol system, Earth. Thus she could do little more but warn us and watch through Sasami; so yes, we had an advance warning and if it had been possible we would have left you out of the fight. But as we all know things developed differently."

**  
**Ranma nodded to herself while she helped herself to some more tea. Hers was cold by now. "So my instincts were right. But what is it with this Dr. Clay, grandpa? Why is he so dead-set on killing everyone of the Masaki house? I know that you have thwarted his plans but why did he go off the deep end?"

**  
**The Shinto priest sighed. "I know it is overly cliché but this guy is in fact a scientist who has indeed crossed the line from genius to insanity. Dr. Clay was Little Washu's competitor for a high position within the Science Academy and when he lost to her he swore vengeance. This led to what we described before. We stopped Dr. Clay but apparently he had something up his sleeve. I only hope that it was the last surprise from him for I admit without you we would have lost."

**  
**Pride welled up at her grandfathers' words. She had been praised so seldom in her life that she cherished the few occasions were it happened. Wiping of the smirk she knew was on her face she became earnest once more. "Do you think he has more Androids that are just waiting to be activated? Or was the one we fought just a prototype?"

**  
**Katsuhito shook his head. "I have no idea, Ranma. I hope that Washu will be able to give us the answers." he said while he helped himself to some more coffee.

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Either way, we'll have to assume the worst and prepare for it. I still have not decided if I will ask you to teach me your style but I really want to teach Ryoko, Tenchi and Ayeka how to become faster and better. Especially Ryoko has got tons of potential and she is already as strong as me, if not stronger! If she would have been as fast as I am she could have toasted the tin-can on her own. Tenchi I have not really evaluated as of yet but if what I think is right then he's one of the big players too. Same goes for Ayeka. My gut-feeling tells me they're all really powerful but they need to improve their speed. Drastically."

**  
**Her new grandfather nodded, pleased with her assessment. "You're completely right; those three are very powerful but they could indeed use an upgrade in speed. So if you want to train them you have free reign. I urge you however to think about me teaching you my style. You could benefit greatly from it."

**  
**The redhead shook her head as if to clear it. "Wow it seems Fate never gives me a break, does it? You know, I so longed to come to know my mom and when I finally could I found out that I could not cause of that idiotic pledge. Then finally my mom accepts me but keeps pestering me with her 'unique' views of manliness. Then…"

**  
**Katsuhito smiled and laid a hand on hers. "Nodoka always wanted a manly son she could be proud of for that had always been a fixation of hers; but that is now over and done with as you said yourself. But you still have to be on your toes regarding one thing: aside from children Nodoka always had the strange idea to become a grandmother as early as possible in her life; why you know now. And when you were born her son she hoped that you'd be very manly and make her a multiple grandmother in your time."

**  
**The redhead boggled. "Mom really had such ideas? Damn and I can really believe that after those strange ideas of manliness she had. Thank Kami-sama and my love that she let go of them. But it really seems that Fate wanted me this way. That also means that had pop not taken me away I'd never become what I am now…" she concluded.

**  
**Katsuhito ruffled her hair. "Don't dwell too much on the past, Ranma. Fate had its reasons why it made you what you are now. And fact is that I can teach you in the full and uncut Juraian sword style if you wish so. I'll have to confer with Nodoka once I have your decision but the promise I made to her can become invalid in the blink of an eye. You now know the background and it is now up to you if the promise I gave to your mother will become invalid or not."

**  
**Ranma looked thoughtful. "Grandfather, I don't want to be disrespectful… but I dunno if I even wanta learn the style. Ya know, pop always taught me that weapons are for the weak and once you get disarmed you're as good as dead. I mean he taught the basics of each weapon-style to me so that I can disarm any weapons user but actually using a weapon…" she trailed off with a somewhat revolted expression.

**  
**The old Shinto priest was hard pressed not to curse in several languages. Just how much had Genma Saotome screwed his child up? It was a miracle that Ranma had turned out as well as she had. "Ranma, I understand and I would never pressure you into something you do not want. But keep in mind, weren't most of the teachings of Genma incomplete or sorely lacking? So all I ask is that you reflect upon what I offered you. A weapon can be an additional tool that will aid your already impressive hand-to-hand skills, keep that in mind." he said with a sage smile. **'And you'll need all the power and skills for what is to come… but right now its too early to burden you with what I know.'** he added mentally.

**  
**That remark hit home and made Ranma really thoughtful. She'd really have to think about it, but later. Now she had to take in as much food as possible in order to recuperate most efficiently. Thus she dug in with gusto in what was left of the breakfast while a smiling Katsuhito watched.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Finally even Ranma was filled and when she saw the smile on Katsuhito's face she smiled back sheepishly. "Heh, lately it takes quite a bit to get me filled. But I'm a growing girl."

**  
**Katsuhitos smile deepened. "That you are. And I bet once the difference in height and weight are not so extreme any more that you will get used to your female half even better." he said while hiding his smirk at knowing something about her the redhead did not.

**  
**Ranma nodded. "That has always been one lf the main reasons why I changed back so fast. You have no idea how off it feels to suddenly weigh 40 pounds less; and more than one foot in height difference is also nothing to laugh at."

**  
**Katsuhito smiled. "You're right, I have no idea. But you should take a look in the mirror the next chance you have. You might be surprised." he said mysteriously.

**  
**The Saotome youth wanted to be in on the secret but the Shinto priest just smiled a secretive smile. "You'll know what I mean once you look at yourself in the mirror. It is no wonder you didn't notice after the ordeal you went through."

**  
**Ranma just looked puzzled. What had she not noticed? However as hard as she tried to discern it she had no success and gave up. Then another thought hit her. "Ordeal... damn! I'll have to notify at least mom and Mr. Tendo what happened to my love. I bet they'll want to see him. Heck, _I_ would want to." she mused.

**  
**Katsuhito nodded. It was a good thing that she had thought of that herself; for it would have been somewhat awkward had he had to suggest it seeing as the two had undertaken this trip to get away also from their parents. He was sure that Ranma had also thought of this and he was proud of her that she had decided to let the parents know. "Best talk to little Washu, Ranma; for she'll have ideas on how to get them here. She's currently in the innards of her lab and it would be wise not to disturb her. However I am sure that she'll come out soon. If anything she's efficient."

**  
**Ranma nodded. "Sounds good, grandpa. But I can already write mom a message. That reminds me, I haven't checked for mails in too long. However stupid pops is not allowed here. I might be tempted to skin him..." she growled out.

**  
**The Shinto priest nodded. He could understand these feelings perfectly. No other individual made it as difficult for him to regain his equilibrium. "That might be a good idea knowing his tendencies." he mused.

**  
**Ranma growled once more as she pulled her laptop from stuff space. Feat that surprised a certain Shinto priest quite thoroughly. He had only ever seen Washu pull things out of thin air. The smile Ranma wore promised an explanation later. With a secretive smile of knowing something he did not she fired up the laptop. Once the OS had loaded completely she checked for WLAN-hotspots like Nabiki had taught her.

**  
**Like the time before it worked like a charm. The lessons with Nabiki had really been worth her time and money. But had Hiroshi not tipped her off how useful computers could be she would still be ignorant to the marvels of modern technical. When she had recognised the worth of computers she had vowed that she'd never ignore something that could be to her benefit again. That was also why she was giving the offer of Katsuhito some serious thought.

**  
**Finally the computer indicated that it needed a login and password to continue and Ranma wanted to give up, utterly frustrated. However to her surprise her new grandfather was able to help her and using his id and password he logged in. Ranma smiled at him as she resumed control over her laptop once more and next she started up the browser and logged in to check her mails. Unsurprisingly she had mail. The content however was a surprise...

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	25. Interlude: Floating

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 25**

**Interlude: Floating**

**  
**She… no, he was feeling very strange. Even in this place – whatever it was – he had apparently taken the gender he was currently in with him. Not that he cared much, he had nearly gotten so used to his new body that it nearly didn't matter to him any more; that was very much due to the person he loved, his Ranma.

**  
**He had no idea where he was, for absolutely no sounds could be heard, not even his own heartbeat or breath. That in and on itself was very strange. For a lack of better description it felt as if he was immersed in the deep water of a lake or ocean, but instead of drowning he was floating gently.

**  
**Instinctively he knew that he could not be immersed in a watery body, because for one he did not seem to need oxygen for his lungs weren't burning; and for another he felt absolutely dry. He also had the instinctive knowledge that no harm could befall him here, wherever here was.

**  
**His memory was very hazy but he remembered that he had tried to save Ranma from something terrible. He had acted on instinct, an instinct he had not even known he possessed but still threw himself in harms way. Then he had known no more. But had he succeeded? Had he saved Ranma?

**  
**He opened his eyes and looked around to gather his bearings, but in whichever direction he looked, the only thing he saw was a wall of endless white, totally formless, totally shapeless. It was unnerving and raised a suspicion. **'Am I dead?'** he asked himself.

**  
**/ "Damn he's in a right state! Put him on the bio bed!" someone exclaimed. /

**  
**He winced at the sudden onslaught of unexpected noise. That had sounded very much like someone he knew or should have known but he could not be sure who it was nor could he place what was going on. It had been very brief and suddenly he was back in the noiseless white place. What had happened? Then he was yanked back to… wherever once more.

**  
**/ "Ya. He took the full brunt of the blast when he shielded Ranma. Pretty darn brave. Will he make it?" asked another voice, apparently worried.

**  
**"Can't say as of yet. It has been a while since one of you was this gravely injured. He has lost a lot of blood and…" /

**  
**Kasumi or rather Yoshiro suddenly knew to whom those voices belonged. Lil' Washu and Ryoko. And then he remembered… at least partially. The energy blast fired upon Ranma by this insanely strong Android. His jump in front of her. Immense, unbearable pain. Then… nothing.

**  
**He wanted to cry out from all the pain he was feeling but somehow that was not possible. Something was hindering him, dragging him away from the pain, immersing him back into the non-water, dulling the pain; and suddenly every feeling of pain was gone once more and he closed his eyes again and relaxed into the currents of the non-water.

**  
**He had the feeling that he was floating again but this time he had the distinct feeling that he was heading somewhere, to a specific place. How he knew he had no idea. He knew that he was not in hell, for surely it was one hell of a lot warmer down there.

**  
**As he had no way of finding out where he was and where he was inadvertedly heading he relaxed and let the mysterious currents that were at work here carry him to the place where he was meant to be. It seemed as if he could do nothing anyway and thus he opted to ride it out and closed his eyes.

**  
**All of a sudden and seemingly no time at all later his 'transport' stopped and the accompanying feeling of floating faded too. Not really sure of what to do he opened his eyes only to look into a face he had not expected to see again till the day he died. She looked like he liked to remember her, as beautiful as an angel. But that could not be, could it? "M… mom?" he managed to ask as he got to his feet and the smiling woman nodded.

**  
**It was all he could do not to pass out but apparently passing out was impossible in this place. "B… but how? Oh, I'm really dead, huh?"

**  
**Kimiko Tendo smiled, a smile that he only remembered too well, a smile he had missed so much. "It's understandable that you might think so, my child, but no, you are _not_ dead; though you came very close. And you won't die, even though it looks very bleak right now. But everything will be alright soon again. Now let me have a good look at the son I never had." she said with a mischievous smile as she circled him.

**  
**Suddenly it dawned on him. "You know? You really know everything that has happened lately?" he asked incredulously.

**  
**His mother nodded. "That and much more, my child. I have watched all of you ever since I died. Yes, I know everything. And although I am not happy with many things that have happened in the eleven years that I have been dead I am very happy with how things are turning out now. Tell your father that I am very proud that he has decided to live again and tell him to continue on his path." she said with a smile; a smile that Yoshiro mirrored. "And tell him if he ever falls into this depression again I'm going to possess Nodoka and teach him a lesson he is likely to never forget." she stated.

**  
**Yoshiro nodded. He too was very proud of his father and hoped dearly that he would never become the weakling he had been for the last ten years ever again. Maybe this threat could help in preventing a relapse. "I will mom." he said. Then his face took on a curious expression. "Say, did Akane really see you when she had died at Jusendo?"

**  
**Kimiko Tendo nodded. "That she did, my child. However, your sister had really died and it was Ranma that brought her back. And I am so sad about what happened afterwards. Ranma really loved her very much and to see how my little A-chan destroyed her own happiness bit by bit drove me to tears. Her anger was always her greatest enemy and it won in the end as it destroyed the love Ranma felt for my little daughter. And poor Ranma… after all that this poor soul had gone through he/she did not deserve this. But don't you dwell on it, my child. What happened was for the better. Even that you received your curse serves a deeper sense. And you make a very good boy, my child. I'm proud that you're adjusting so well. And the name you chose for your male side, Yoshiro, fits you very well."

**  
**Yoshiro smiled a chagrined smile. "Thanks, mom. In the beginning it was so strange to suddenly have body-parts that I never thought I would have. I had to get used to so much and had it not been for Ranma I think I would have gone crazy. But believe it or not, even though _she_, now that we're locked I refer to Ranma as a girl, and what a beautiful girl she makes…" he said with a smile before he caught himself and blushed.

**  
**His mother smiled in understanding. "I know what you're thinking, dear. You think that you'd never have thought that you'd think something like that about another girl. But you and Ranma are unique for you are both; both woman and man. Both of you said it before and its true: you two are the perfect couple and I'm so happy for the two of you." she said and Yoshiro knew that his mother meant this from the bottom of her heart. "And no I can't read minds. Even death won't do that to you." she said with humour. "It was just something that was obvious."

**  
**Unconsciously smiling he nodded. "Just looking at her makes me want to hold her and never let go." he said with a sigh. "And when _he_ holds me, my female side that is, I feel so safe and protected. It's really as if we were meant to be this way. But Ranma… she's incredible. Even though she has not accepted the curse fully as of yet she has helped me cope. Immensely. Without her I'd never have managed." he said with a real smile. "And now I'm so happy that I can help her. Deep in my heart I know that everything happened for a reason. But it broke my heart every time I saw Ranma hurt; and in the beginning it seemed that I could do nothing to ease his/her pain. I could only watch and tend to the many wounds, both physically and mentally. Mom, I felt so powerless. You have no idea how often I cried because of the unfairness of it all." he said and looked at his empathising mother. "Or maybe you do." he added with a slight smile.

**  
**His mother nodded. "I watched everything, my child. Ranma is an exceptional person and I'm glad that you managed to show her that she can rely on you if she needs reassurance or protection. Or everything else for that matter." she said with a slight smile before getting earnest again. "No one should be made to rely just on him- or herself or they'll starve emotionally. And that's one of the worst fates." she said with conviction and Yoshiro nodded empathically.

**  
**Then Kimikos face turned sad. "I know that A-chan regrets deeply what she has done. But that does not change the fact that she did Ranma a great wrong, even if she was controlled by her anger. I am very relieved that she's getting her emotions under control now." she said with heartfelt relief. "Tell your little sister that she should not dwell so much on the past and that she has all the chances in the world. She and Ranma were just not meant for each other, as much as it saddens me for my little A-chan. You and Ranma, however, were and are meant for each other."

**  
**/ …"blood loss stopped. His heart is beating again and we have a regular breathing. That CPR and mouth-to-mouth really did the trick even though it nearly killed him. Now…" /

**  
**He focussed his eyes on his mother once more and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, mom."

**  
**Kimiko Tendo smiled back at her child. "There's no need, my child. You can't help it."

**  
**He nodded. "You know, mom, in the beginning I felt a bit guilty that I had snatched Ranma from Akane, even though the engagement was off. Okay, make that very guilty." he added at his mothers look. "But when Ranma reciprocated my love it was the most joyful moment in my whole life. She can't say as of yet that she loves me but I know it. And it is the most wonderful thing in the world!" he stated with conviction.

**  
**His mother smiled. "Yes, she loves you, and she loves you deeply." she said with a deeper still smile. "You two are really a unique couple and I am proud of how you two are coping with your situation. If you continue on this path you will turn the curse into a blessing which will ensure you both a wonderful and fulfilled life. And I want loads and loads of grandchildren!" she exclaimed.

**  
**"Moooom!" the man-turned-woman exclaimed embarrassed while his mother smirked. "So… you said that you watched us. When?"

**  
**Kimiko smiled. "You know, when you die you're transported to a stopover where everyone regardless of age, confession or any criteria you could name is grounded for ten years before they're judged. You know, the whole live is reviewed and evaluated and all that. Only last year I ascended to heaven, shortly before A-chan met me. As you don't need to eat, sleep or drink any more you can pretty much watch your family for the whole time if you get permission. Obviously I was allowed. I was also allowed to meet you here in this dreamscape and for that I'm glad."

**  
**Yoshiro had his jaw on the ground. "You really watched everything that has happened in the last eleven years? _Everything_?" he asked incredulously.

**  
**Mrs. Tendo nodded. "Every last bit, and a lot more detailed ever since I entered heaven." she said with a smile. "And I am so happy that you found the love of your life and decided to live again, my child. I know as well as you do that the curse freed you from this life and maybe that is why you're coping so much better with it, am I right? But you have every right to. And Ranma is so good on you and I can't wait to see the cute children you will have." she exclaimed with ardour.

**  
**The cursed Tendo child blushed once more. "Moooom! You sound just like auntie Nodoka!" he exclaimed embarrassed.

**  
**His mother smiled mischievously. "Hmm that may be because we were best friends ever since our kindergarten-days." she said and her smile deepened at the look of surprise on her child's face.

**  
**"Wow. You really knew each other since that long? I mean I knew that auntie knew our family from somewhere but I'd never have guessed…"

**  
**Kimiko smiled deeper still. "We thought quite alike, No-chan and me; that was why we got along so well. The only thing I did not agree with was her fixation upon manliness and I really felt for poor Ranma. When she allowed that Genma took Ranma onto that dreadful training trip we had a huge fallout and stopped talking to each other. Some time later I got ill and as you know I died little later. To my sadness we never made up so when you see No-chan tell her that I forgave her."

**  
**Yoshiro looked confused and he tried to remember something he had apparently suppressed. "Mom… you mean to tell me that auntie, the woman who always came to visit us at the Dojo and suddenly stopped so abruptly was auntie Nodoka?"

**  
**His mother looked at him with surprise. "You remember that?"

**  
**The man-turned-woman looked at her with a scolding expression. "Mom, I was nine! Of course I remember!" he exclaimed indignantly.

**  
**Mrs. Tendo had the good grace to look somewhat abashed. "Of course. Forgive me." she said with a smile that could have molten even the most cold-hearted human being. "Yes, that was No-chan. I know that she came to my funeral but afterwards she had too much trouble to be of any help to you four."

**  
**Seeing her sons' look Kimiko Tendo nodded. "Yes, Genma. He caused trouble for No-chan from the very start of the trip. It was always up to her to pay for any bills he left while he was still in Japan. She often had trouble keeping the house so don't blame her. She had her own troubles to deal with, monetary and emotionally. Sadly No-chan became even more fixated upon her strange ideals of a 'man among men' over time and it hurt me to see that poor Ranma had to hide as Ranko Tendo."

**  
**Yoshiro nodded. "Yes, that was very hard for her. On one hand her mother was so near but on the other hand she was worlds away. And after the way Genma had painted auntie Ranma never dared to reveal herself; I really felt for her and wished I could have done something but I did not know if auntie would go through with the contract or not. It was a hard time and I was very glad when everything was over. Especially when auntie finally let go of her strange views of manliness."

**  
**Kimiko Tendo smiled. "Yes my child, that was really well done. I could not have done it better myself, and believe me, I was really good at giving No-chan a good tongue-lashing in my time. I'm really proud of you that you managed it and I know for a fact that No-chan already realised what she did to Ranma with her ideals. I'd not be surprised if she'd make an effort to correct her mistake. Honestly, I'd even not be surprised if Nodoka stopped caring altogether who of you two will give birth to your children. As long as she gets grandchildren in the end. And me too." she teased.

**  
**Yoshiro blushed once more but could not deny the truth of the statement. It was not too farfetched in Nodoka's case. And his mother seemed to think quite along these same lines too, apparently. "But that is something to consider in the future, mom. I know that I want children with Ranma but we want to take it slowly. Ranma has made so many bad experiences in the past and because I love her so much I don't want to ask too much of her."

**  
**/ "How is he?" asked a voice that sounded very much like Ranma. /

**  
**The man-turned-woman blinked to gather his bearings. This… switching was beginning to get irritating; but at least he had heard his love which meant that she was okay. Looking back at his mother he smiled sheepishly, waiting for her to begin anew.

**  
**Kimiko smiled back. "It is good to take it slowly, my child but know that the love of Ranma is deep and firm. Believe me, the two of you will know when you are ready for children. Your father and I did in our time and so will you two. I'm only sad that I won't be present at your wedding and it saddens me even more that I'll never be able to play with my grandchildren. But I will watch from above, my child. Maybe you two are even going to have two weddings that I can watch?" she asked mischievously.

**  
**Yoshiro blushed once more. He had really forgotten what an easy time mothers had in embarrassing their children. "I haven't really thought about it yet. First we have to get engaged and with everything that has happened lately I doubt that we'll have a minute to ourselves in which we could tie the knot. I know that I love Ranma more than my life and I love both forms of him/her. I just could not imagine a life without her."

**  
**His mother nodded in understanding. "I believe that Ranma feels the same way about you. Believe me, you will know when the time is right, when the time to 'tie the knot' as you said has come. Consider that you're the man for the next three months, my child. So it has to be you to get down to one knee and propose if you so chose." she teased with a smile.

**  
**The man-turned-woman blushed once more but his mother had a point here. He _was_ the man for the next three months and if the time should prove to be right within this timeframe he'd probably do it. "We'll see, mom. But there's still so much to overcome. We'll need a lot of money if we really want to be independent, if we want to have children. And I know we want. I want. And I can see it in Ranma's eyes too. But we need to finish our respective educations and so much more. If it were for my heart I would want to get married to her right away and let nature have its course." he said and then smiled sheepishly. "Okay, make that once I get out of that white nothingness here. But my mind knows that we have to be able to provide for children first." he finished and his smile turned sad.

**  
**Mrs. Tendo smiled. "Your father and I had the same worries. But believe me, dear, everything will work out. True love has a way of overcoming any obstacle and the love between you two _is_ true love. For monetary issues I can only give you the advice to use what Kami-sama provided you with." she said mysteriously.

**  
**The cursed Tendo nodded despite not understanding that cryptic remark. "I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with Ranma and I somehow know that he/she feels the same way. I'm glad that auntie Nodoka won't complicate things any more with her former ideals but what can I do about Ranma's father? Surely you know what I'm talking about."

**  
**His mother's beautiful face scrunched up in anger. Oh yes, she apparently knew what he was talking about. "Yes, Genma Saotome. I always said to No-chan that this man was no good, but did she listen? No." she said with a sigh. "The only good thing that came out of this relationship is Ranma. I only came to know what Genma did to Ranma during their time at our home but I learned of everything he went through when you two came to the Masakis. To say that Ranma's childhood was horrible is a gross understatement and I agree with you when you think that this man shall not be allowed within a mile of my future grandchildren. Normally I believe in the good in people but with Genma it is hard." she said and Yoshiro nodded. "I dearly hope that No-chan will be successful in her attempts at reeducating him but if not… use any measure that is necessary to keep him away." Kimiko finished.

**  
**Yoshiro nodded. "That I will, mother."

**  
**/ "I _love_ you, Ka-kun. I love you more than words could ever say. That was the most stupid thing I ever saw that you did for me but also the bravest. I love you and I never want you to leave me. And don't you ever dare doing something this stupid again!" /

**  
**"Wow!" he exclaimed as soon as he was back with his mother. "Did you hear that?" he asked excitedly. "She really loves me!"

**  
**His mother hugged him with a big smile plastered on her face. "That she does. And I am so happy for you. For the two of you. Just imagine how it will be once she says it to you face to face, my child."

**  
**Yoshiro's smile brightened while he hugged his mother for all it was worth. "I can hardly wait!" he exclaimed. "I love her so much that I feel like I must burst to bits and I'm so happy that she's finally said that she feels the same way! I mean I knew it but hearing her _say_ it… damn, if only I could hold her…"

**  
**Kimiko smiled. Her child really had gotten it really bad and she was so happy for him. Of all her children Kasumi, or rather Yoshiro, now, deserved love the most. When he had been her daughter she had constantly sacrificed her own life for the others, had practically put it on hold and she, Kimiko, had hated it. It was good to see that he was receiving some well-deserved payback. "You will soon be able to, my child. Know that I will always be proud of you, regardless if you're my daughter or my son. I love you, and I will always be with you. Never again forget to live, promise me that."

**  
**Her cursed child smiled back. "I promise, mother. I doubt that I'll ever get back to how it was, not that I would want to anyway. Ranma has changed my life so much and all for the better. It was not her fault that I got injured and almost died; it was my decision to do what I did. And it's good to know that she managed to come out on top again." he said proudly only to grew solemn in a flash. "If only things were as easy in regards that don't pertain fighting…" he sighed.

**  
**His mother looked puzzled. "What do you mean, son?" she asked, underlining her statement from earlier that she accepted him as her son.

**  
**In spite of himself he smiled at this show of acceptance. "I refer to one of the many occasions in Ranma's life where Genma Saotome fouled up. I don't know if you know of it, mom, but Genma engaged Ranma to a girl named Ukyo Kuonji when he was six. Poor Ranma had no idea of this and thought that Ukyo was a boy. Genma let him in this belief and tricked him into choosing between Okonomiyaki and Ukyo. Knowing Ranma's appetite" here both Tendos smiled "he chose Okonomiyaki. Ten years later Ukyo came to Ranma's school to get her revenge but in the end Ukyo ended up engaged to Ranma. Due to the fact that Genma stole the dowry the claim is as strong as ours. I just don't know what to do."

**  
**Even the angelic Kimiko Tendo looked remarkably angry. "I did know all of it, my child. Engaging a child is not bad per se although I personally never liked arranged marriages. They were much too medieval for my taste and I was really angry when your father came home one night, drunk of course, and proclaimed that the schools would be joined through marriage. But there was little I could do against it and seeing how it turned out in Ranma's and A-chan's case I'd say that I was right. It's different in yours and Ranma's case for when you'll marry you'll marry out of love." she said with a smile. "Now back to Ukyo. I know I shouldn't be doing this and I'll probably get into some trouble but I can help you."

**  
**To say that Yoshiro was curious would have been an understatement. "Help? How?"

**  
**His mother smiled. "As I knew of the situation I called in some favours. And when I was allowed to visit you here in this dreamscape between the mortal realm and the heavens I knew it was the perfect opportunity. When A-chan came some months ago I hadn't found out then but now I know it."

**  
**"What, mom?" Yoshiro asked.

**  
**Kimiko Tendos' smiled deepened. "I know the location of the yattai Genma Saotome stole. And it is still intact." she said.

**  
**Yoshiro's eyes gleamed. "That is awesome, mom!" he exclaimed. "Can you tell me?"

**  
**She shook her head and Yoshiro's head dropped in disappointment. "But I can _show_ you." she said with a smile. At seeing his questioning glance she explained. "You know that I said I had ascended to heaven a year ago? Well, I'm an angel in training. I was judged and found to have led an exemplary life; thus I was offered this position, a rare honour, mind you, and I accepted."

**  
**Yoshiro's eyes bugged out. "You… you're an angel? Really?" he asked disbelieving.

**  
**His mother nodded. "That I am. And to forestall your questions, no, I don't have wings as of yet. Angels only get their wings once they've completed their training. But I do have certain abilities already and one of them is the mental projection of my thoughts. Watch and try to remember as many details as possible. This is the cave where Genma Saotome has hidden the yattai all those years ago."

**  
**He nodded and with that Kimiko Tendo began to project the mental image. Yoshiro marvelled at the detailed 3d-image that appeared in thin air and heeding his mother's advice he tried to memorise as much as possible of the landscape shown to him. Once he was sure that he could not memorise any more details he nodded; apparently his mother had understood him and stopped the projection.

**  
**It was visible that it had taken a lot out of her and Yoshiro smiled thankfully. "Thank you, mom. That will really help us. But it will still be hard to convince Ukyo to lay off. She really loves Ranma and I feel we have to repay her for the years she spent on planning her revenge because what Genma did. That is at least what Ranma feels, although I don't know how I know."

**  
**Kimiko smiled. "You loved Ranma for quite some time and you know how she acts and thinks. As a matter of fact I'm quite sure that you're right with your hunch. From watching her life I know that Ranma is honourable to a fault which means that she'll try to make it up to Ukyo."

**  
**Yoshiro nodded. "Exactly. Even if it was not her but Genma's fault she will try everything short of marrying Ukyo to repay her. And Ukyo is so convinced that Ranma loves her that she'll never give up. I'm quite sure she's trying even now to find us." he said with a sigh.

**  
**Kimiko agreed. "You're right, dear. She _is _trying to find you two." she explained and smiled sheepishly. "I watched her. After all, a mother has to look out for her children as much as she can. I'm only sorry that I can't say when she's going to find you. But she will."

**  
**He smiled at his mother. "Thanks, mom. What you did for us is more than enough."

**  
**Kimiko smiled back. "You're welcome, dear. Oh, please tell A-chan and Nabs that they're on the right path. If they continue on it they'll find their happiness too. Just like you have, my child."

**  
**Yoshiro practically grinned at his mother. "I will, mom." he said, and then his face got a wistful look. "And I pray every day that Ko-chan won't get hurt in the encounter we're bound to have with Ukyo. She's been hurt so often in her life and I can't stand it. If only Genma had acted more responsible a lot could have been avoided."

**  
**His mother nodded. "Yes, if only. But now she has you and together you're stronger for it. And the two of you will need this strength for what is to come." she said, and from the look on his mother's face he knew that she would not say any more. Then she smiled once more. "But first the two of you will get the chance to be yourselves. Help Ránmā to discover her female half but don't push her into something that she is not. That is especially something my dear friend No-chan has to realise. Should Ránmā not be able to get the point across please assist your girlfriend."

**  
**The oldest Tendo child nodded. "Of course. I've long since realised that it's impossible to make Ránmā into a perfect lady and I'm sure she'll always be a tomboy. But _maybe_ we'll be able to get her to behave somewhat like a lady at least. Though I'll never force her into anything; I love her and I'd never hurt her. She's been hurt too often in her life."

**  
**Kimiko Tendo smiled at her child's declaration. He was deeply in love with No-chan's child and she was happy for the two of them. "Yes, that she has. But through your love she has finally found what she has been missing out on for her whole life. Love. Friendship. Trust. Someone to lean into, to depend on. Everything that most people take for granted. Take good care of her and give me some grandchildren to watch over." she said with a straight face, although her eyes were twinkling madly.

**  
**It took some seconds for Yoshiro to decipher the last line and when he has he blushed. Again. "Moooom! I told you we'd take it slow. Honest, you're as bad as auntie!" he said with a shake of his head.

**  
**Mrs. Tendo smiled. "Guilty as charged. But you're right, before you two can settle down and become parents your problems have to be solved. And I agree, Ukyo will prove to be a hard nut to crack. Even if you two recover the yattai it will be hard to convince her of how things are. She's spent ten years preparing her revenge and over a year chasing Ranma. But I believe my little Nabs will help you two in that regard. Oh, before I forget, tell Nabs that I'm very proud of her. Finally she has understood what I had to learn too, the very thing you taught her: money is not everything. I'm very proud of you, all of you. I will always love you."

**  
**Acting on impulse Yoshiro hugged his mother for all it was worth. "I love you too, mom; and the others do too." he said with tears in his eyes. "It's good to know that you'll watch over us."

**  
**Mrs. Tendo had tears in her eyes herself. "I'll always watch over you. And I expect you to make me a grandmother one of these days, my child." she said in a mock-stern tone that made Yoshiro laugh. "Now rest, my child. Rest and get well… goodbye. I'll watch over you, all of you."

**  
**Yoshiro smiled. "Bye, mom. Love you." he said.

**  
**His mother smiled one last time. "I love you too, my child." she said, and then she was gone.

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	26. Evaluations

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 26: Evaluations**

**  
**The surprise on the face of a certain redheaded martial artist must have been very obvious for a certain Shinto priest who was sitting beside her gave her a worried look. "Ranma, is everything alright?"

**  
**Said redhead shook herself out of her stupor and slowly nodded her head. "I'm just... surprised is all. Damn who would have thought!" she exclaimed as she scanned the text for a second time.

**  
**With patience born from millennia Katsuhito waited until his new granddaughter was finished. When she was she handed him the laptop wordlessly; surprise but also something else were prevalent on her face. The Shinto priest mused that it looked like relief. Filing away her reactions for later analysis he read the mail. The first thing he noticed was that it was from Nodoka; he had to smile at her username though. This one was new to him.

'**Katanalady... oh yes that fits her well.'** he thought and began to study the text of the mail.

**  
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**  
To**: The wild child

**  
From**: The Katanalady

**  
Subject**: Your mail and much more

**  
**Hello my child,

**  
**First of all let me say... hurray and congratulations! I'm so happy for you and I have kept your secret. Not even Soun knows and I would never dream of telling your father. Although he can not make decisions for you any more he might do something stupid. Alas, Kami-sama knows he has a tendency for these things.

**  
**But on to happier things. I am so glad for you, my child. And I'm sure Kasumi will wait for you until you are ready. If she/he loves you as much as I think she/he will. I am really happy that you found your true love. I've prayed to Kami-sama that your love may hold for all eternity. But I have a good feeling about it. Call it a mother's intuition.

**  
**I've finally realised just how big of a mistake the engagement to Akane really was. She loved you, my child, and she still does. However your personalities just did not fit. I've discussed it with your father and he agrees... now. A relationship also needs some friction but per my observations the two of you quarrelled constantly. There is also no excuse for Akane always hitting you. But that is now being dealt with.

**  
**In fact Akane does now receive psychological treatment; and Elder Cologne is helping as well. That brings me to something that happened some time ago. The Tuesday after you two had left Elder Cologne and her protégés Shampoo and Mousse stopped by. There and then we did not know of your mail but the Elder explained everything in detail.

**  
**Now keep your hat on, daughter; at least I think you're currently my daughter as I've noticed that you were always more prone to express yourself as a girl which you did in your last mail; I hope you'll start to do the same thing as a boy in the future, my child.

**  
**It turned out that Shampoo did _not _poison Akane! She had planned to but she did not have the heart to do something that dishonourable. And Shampoo did not even have to make Akane angry enough to lose the engagement as something else did so much better.

**  
**We learned the reasons why Akane treated you the way she did and I must say that I feel for the poor girl. The main reason why she was so angry with you, my child was that she felt that you ripped her away from her mother. She told us that she had really died at Jusendo and that she was with her mother in heaven. Yet when you called out her name she was ripped away from Kimiko and brought back to Earth. She never really overcame the shock even though she tried to hide it but being around you constantly made her more and more angry. Things have been cleared up now and Akane understands.

**  
**But it also did not help that her mallet turned out to be an uncontrolled ki-attack. Elder Cologne wanted to write you a mail with a more detailed warning thus I'll tell you the basics, daughter. Akane's mallet is according to the Elder a ki-attack based on anger. The more often she used the mallet the angrier she became. It was a vicious circle and one that has been broken as of now, gladly.

**  
**The Elder has already begun to teach her several meditation techniques and also a technique you seem to have mastered yourself, the stuff space. Akane is quite fond of her mallet and to make it easier for her to stop using the ki-attack she has so gotten used to the Elder had the idea to teach the stuff space to Akane so that she could reach for another mallet she had stored there herself. Akane has accepted this and is willing to learn. As the alternative is too gruelling to even think about it she had virtually no other choice. Had the poor girl continued to use her mallet she might have even killed someone; in time she would have been so far gone in her anger that she might have gone on a rampage if something had ticked her off. Gladly that won't happen and we're all very relieved.

**  
**I'm really sorry for Akane, which I admit. She is such a nice girl but I understand that you won't go back to how it was. I saw it for myself before you left, daughter. There and then I thought that you might fall for Kasumi and that now that it has happened, now that you and Kasumi love each other… I could not be gladder. I will also take every precaution necessary so that your father does not learn of what is going on. He will especially have no part in bringing up future children I hope you two will have; that I promise to you on my honour and as the Head of Clan Saotome.

**  
**Your father has already ruined _your_ life more than thoroughly and after I have now learned the true extent of what he has done to you I have started to… reeducate him. Yes, my child I know of the Neko-ken. Had I ever known what he planned to do to you in his foolishness and thoughtlessness I would have never let you leave. Yet I trusted your father with you and it seems that it was the worst decision I could have made. Only two good things came out of it, my child. You have become a truly wonderful martial artist and also the daughter I never had.

**  
**I must admit that I was really torn between abiding by the contract and accepting you as my daughter as well as my son. In the end my motherly love for you won and although my motherly instincts had gotten rusty they fought what I perceived as honour at that time. But had it not been for Kasumi I might still have the views of manliness that I had. I can not thank Kami-sama enough for the insight the person you love provided me with. Kasumi has my full approval as well as your wife as your husband. I could not wish for a better daughter-and-son-in-law than Kasumi. So if you ask her/him, you have my full support.

**  
**Know that I love you, my child. Many greetings from everyone. I have to end the mail now for a certain Mr. Panda just begs for another round of reeducation.

**  
**Love,  
Mom.

**  
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**  
**Katsuhito smiled to himself. It was good to read that his former student had punished her wayward husband for submitting their child to the torture that was the false Neko-ken. He only hoped it had really hurt. It was just too bad that he had not been there to help her.

**  
**Smiling further the old Shinto Priest analyzed the underlying message of the mail. Oh yes it seemed that Nodoka still wanted grandchildren as bad as ever. Inwardly the Shinto priest asked himself if Nodoka would care who would give birth to the first child. With an amused shake of the head he shook these thoughts from his mind. That was really something far off topic for the two as far as he could see; and besides, that decision was up to both Kasumi and Ranma and nobody else.

**  
**He viewed the two cursed individuals as persons with a lot of personal honour and such as the two would probably wait until the wedding night to consume their love. No, there were no worries here. Concentrating on the inbox Katsuhito noticed that Ranma had three further mails; of course he'd never open them without her approval. "I've read the mail, Ranma. It was good to read from your mother again as our correspondence stopped some time ago. As we had been quite busy ourselves I never got to check upon the reason why but I suspect it had to do with your father."

**  
**Ranma growled at that. "That's a safe bet, grandpa. Mom probably had no internet-access cause she could not pay the bills any more or something. Till today I have no idea just how many debts stupid pops created but I fear that quite a lot of bills landed on mom's doorstep. And I know mom; she is very honourable and I bet she paid all the bills. Grrr, just thinking about it creates the urge in me to rip the stupid panda to pieces. I hate what he did to mom and me." she said angrily. "But I'm really, really happy that Shampoo did not poison Akane. I would have felt really bad to have known that I had been the reason for that."

**  
**Katsuhito nodded. "I can understand that, granddaughter. But it would not have been your fault if she had done so; you're not responsible for her decision, she is. Just let it go." he said with a reassuring smile; a smile which vanished as he continued. "But your father seems to be able to create these feelings you described in a lot of people. I especially worry about your engagement to this Ukyo Kuonji, another fault of Genma's you have to pay for. As far as you said you do not want anything but friendship between you; yet she insists upon the engagement and wants to marry you at all costs. Don't let what I say now go to your head but its understandable. You are an exceptional person, Ranma. Kind, caring, brave and so much more. It is no wonder that you attract many suitors. But now that you have found your match it is time to initiate some damage control. And that's where little Washu comes in. I'm sure we'll come up with something between all of us." he said and leant over to ruffle her hair.

**  
**The redhead enjoyed that quite a bit and giggled quietly. It was something she would never have dreamed of doing a few weeks back, dropping her guard like that but now it just felt good. She was surrounded by people who cared for her and whom she could trust and vice versa. She wondered what would have happened had it been the same at the Tendo Dojo. Sure, it had been her home but there she'd always missed the support she was getting here. Here she could be more or less carefree, in contrast to Nerima.

**  
**That on the other hand brought a lot of dark thoughts and Ranma warded them off as fast as they had popped up. She was here to enjoy herself and that she would do from now on. Came there hell or high water. Now only her love had to heal but according to little Washu that would happen within the week. In one week at the latest he would be out of the tank, as good as new. It was an eternity for her but somehow she would manage.

**  
**She smiled as she thought about how the others were helping her to deal with the situation. At home, in Nerima she'd probably have been blamed for everything and been clobbered for good measure. Not so here. Yes, here people cared for her and that was a new feeling, a wholly new concept for her. Granted her mother had also cared a lot for her, especially ever since the failed wedding, but this was unconditional acceptance she came to know here… okay, not completely unconditional considering Ryoko.

**  
**But she felt that the two of them had come to terms somewhat. Their relationship now felt somewhat like the one she shared with Ryoga. Some sort of rivalling friendship. Which was good in her book; she always needed people who brought out the best in her and Ryoko had loads of potential. In fact the cyan-haired alien was strong and tough enough to keep up with her and once she had brought her speed up to acceptable levels she'd be even more of a challenge.

**  
**She felt that she could be good for Ryoko and vice versa. The thought of Ryoko reminded her of something. "Grandpa, where is everyone? It is so damn quiet here in the house."

**  
**Katsuhito leant back in his chair. "Well, little Washu is in her lab doing Kami-sama knows what. Mihoshi has dragged Sasami onto yet another shopping trip; our resident Galaxy Police offer said that a good, long shopping trip was called for after all the action and agitation. Sasami was unfortunate enough to be in close proxy thus she got dragged off." here Ranma looked positively green at the idea that _she_ could have been the one to be dragged off on such a trip. "That's also why there's a mountain of food as she made enough as a precaution until she's back. Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko are outside, trying to improve their style. They saw in the fight against the Android that they're lacking a lot and they've begun to train even harder than before. But I agree they'll need your help to improve their speed and style. Learning hand-to-hand from you will do them a world of good."

**  
**Ranma's eyes gleamed at the mention of training. Now that she had taken in a sufficient amount of food she felt like she could take on everything. Besides, training with the other three would also distract her from her worries. Especially if she would instruct them in the Art.

**  
**It really seemed that being female meant that one worried a lot more about a lot of things; at the moment she was worried about her love most of all. But as she had never been a person to sit in a corner and bite her nails off she decided to become active again. "Cool! If you'd excuse me… I'm gonna join them as soon as I have changed into better suited gear. Training… cool!" she exclaimed with excitement and wanted to get up when an acoustic message chirped that made her remain in place.

**  
**Katsuhito on his part had overheard it as he had been lost in thought. The old Shinto priest knew that Ranma needed this training, or rather the opportunity to teach the most because she wanted to forget that her love was still healing from a near death-experience. Normally neither Washu nor he would have allowed Ranma to partake in the training sessions his three protégés normally held so soon after her ordeal; but he also knew that Ranma was extraordinarily tough and healed fast. This had become crystal clear after the additional tests little Washu had made after Ranma had fallen asleep. Her blood alone had answered a lot of questions and having visual proof of the healing rate she possessed it was safe for her to partake in the training.

**  
**Little Washu had made some very interesting postulations about what was still happening to Ranma. It seemed to be obvious now that she was indeed developing the same powers the Phoenix King Saffron possessed with one difference. Ranma also held a huge amount of ki and these two power sources were now intermixing and combining, were already on a good way in doing so as far as he could tell. And everyone who knew the theory that the sum was often larger than its parts knew what was happening. In simple terms Ranma was increasing in power more and more, maybe to a point where her powers would be able to compete with those of the Lighthawk wings.

**  
**Kami-sama knew that Ranma was one creative person and it was highly probable that she'd put these powers to good use. Heck, she had created ki-attacks based on moves from an Anime series! How probable was it there that she would be very inventive with her new powers? Yes, Ranma gave them a lot to think about. But unlike Kagato who had been a similar case she was good-hearted and fought to serve and protect. Ranma could become a very valuable ally to them as she had proven and he was proud to call her his granddaughter even if she was not of his or Juraian blood.

**  
**Shaking himself out of his musings he noticed that Ranma had grabbed the laptop instead of going upstairs to change. She had apparently a new mail to read; fact that had pushed the thoughts of training somewhat into the background. It was understandable too; he'd have wanted to be kept up to date with what was going on at home too. "Hmm… okay…" the redhead mumbled to herself as she apparently scan-read this particular mail.

**  
**Finally she looked up and nodded. "This mail is from Elder Cologne. She sent it on the same day she found out about Akane's mallet being a ki-attack; she describes how it works and urges me to come up with another form of ki-attack. I wonder why it took so long to appear in my inbox? Probably the server down once more or something." she muttered. "You know, grandpa, I based my old Moko Takabisha on confidence-ki. But now that I have these new powers it has started to intermix with my power-centre. Which had the effect that my ki-attacks are now quite safe for me." she said with a grin that said 'but not for those unfortunate enough to be at the receiving end'.

**  
**She handed the laptop to Katsuhito once more and the old Shinto Priest read it. Once he was finished he nodded. "Had you showed me your pure form of the Moko Takabisha you mentioned I could have told you the same thing. I've learned a lot in my 2,000 years of existence and ki-manipulation and detection is among it; I think I'll even be able to show you a trick or the other. But it is good that you're not in danger any more. Kami-sama knows that you have enough on your plate already."

**  
**The redhead could only nod. "You can say that again, grandpa." she said as she helped herself to something more to eat. Reading had made her hungry.

**  
**The Shinto Priest looked over her inbox, frowned and handed the laptop back to his new granddaughter. "Here, Ranma. If I saw right you have yet another three mails to be read. They seem to be recent."

**  
**The redhead nodded while accepting her laptop. Placing it in front of her while sipping her tea she opened the first message. It was from Cologne and did not tell her anything new; the Elder has asked however to which address to forward the soap and thus Ranma wrote a quick reply that provided the necessary details.

**  
**The next message was a junk-mail that got deleted quickly. The last message, however, proved to be very interesting as it was from her mother. Looking at the date she saw that it had been composed today; opening it she saw that it had been written only two hours ago. Curious as hell Ranma began to read the message.

**  
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**  
To**: The wild child

**  
From**: The Katanalady

**  
Subject**: Important news

**  
**Hello my child,

**  
**we have received word that your other legitimate fiancée (or is that fiancé, considering that she is legally a boy and you're my daughter? Don't worry, just teasing, dear!), Ukyo Kuonji, is aware of your location. According to Nabiki she has hired a private eye who managed to follow your track. From what we know she has left Nerima and is now headed for Okayama. We have no idea when she'll arrive but you better prepare.

**  
**Love,

Mom.

**  
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────**

**  
**Ranma stared for a few seconds. Then she shook her head. That was just great. Why had everything in her life the tendency to blow up in her face? Considering her luck it was a given that Ukyo had no idea that she had fallen for Kasumi, and fallen as hard as one could. No, she did not look forward to meeting Ukyo. Why did she have to tell her best childhood-friend that she did not feel anything more but friendship towards her, which would surely break her heart? Why did everything always have to be so complicated? With a sigh she composed an answer in which she thanked her mother for the warning. It was quite short and to the point, but she wanted to find another way to talk to her mother anyway.

**  
**Banning her worries concerning Ukyo into the far recesses of her mind she concentrated on more pleasant things. "So, now I'm gonna train the others and when I'm done I'm gonna ask Washu-chan what we can do about mom and Mr. Tendo. See ya later!" she exclaimed and bounded away.

**  
**Katsuhito looked after her and smiled to himself. Despite all that had happened to her in her short life she had not lost her energy or her will to live and take on everything that came her way; rather the contrary was the case. Yes, Ranma was truly the child of Nodoka, he mused to himself.

**  
**-.-

**  
**A little while later a redhead clad in a black tank-top and blue spandex came downstairs again, a big smile on her face. Katsuhito noticed her mood in an instant and was quite certain that she had found out. "So you noticed now, did you, Ranma?"

**  
**The Saotome girl grinned. She had had to use the bathroom and one look in the mirror and she'd indeed noticed. "You bet I did, you sly fox! Grrr, you could have _told_ me that I had grown! And four inches to boot! Finally I'm not the midget any more!" she exclaimed in jest. Yup, being 5'4'' now was not so bad all. So that had been why the ground had seemed to be farther away than before. It _had_ been! And she had thought she had hallucinated! Damn, the happenings as of late had really screwed her perceptions, or else she would have noticed something like that. In the future she'd pay more attention to her body, that she vowed to herself.

**  
**Katsuhito smiled back. "Yes, I _could_ have told you. But wasn't it much better that you found out on your own, Ranma?"

**  
**Ranma walked over to the old man and gave him a playful punch to the shoulder. "Oh you! But you're right; it _is_ better that I found out myself. And damn do I look better this way! Man it's so cool that this body has finally grown somewhat! Granted I'm still not as tall as my male form and probably never will be but it's a start. Now I only have to gain some weight so that I don't look like a female version of that skinny kid I read about in that book about magic and stuff… you know, Harry Potter. His evil relatives nearly starved him to death and that instantly reminded me of stupid pops and his idiotic speed training. I felt for the kid even though it was just a novel. But a real cool one!"

**  
**Katsuhito nodded. "Yes, I have heard of Harry Potter too. The series is quite popular over in the States and in Europe; however I never read a single book up till now. You say they're good?"

**  
**The redhead nodded empathically. "In former times I'd have given a damn about it. But ever since I got cursed at Jusenkyo and got firsthand proof that magic exists I was fascinated. And when I found out about that Harry Potter book I bought it and read it in secret. Stupid pops would have scolded me for reading something that was so idiotic and unmanly in his opinion but I liked the book. This J. K. Rowling is a real imaginative person to have thought up a world like this and I like the way she writes and describes things. Wonder what she'd say if she knew that magic really exists?" she mused with a slight smile.

**  
**The Shinto priest shared the smile. "Who knows, maybe this author knows more than we do, eh?"

**  
**Ranma looked at him and grinned. "Yeah, who knows?" she said finally. "Grandpa, I'm ready to train and show the others how it's done properly. See ya later!" she exclaimed with her trademark smirk.

**  
**Katsuhito smiled at this. It was good to see Ranma ready to take part in the training; but he mused that had it not been for Washu and her fantastic medical equipment that his new granddaughter would have been worried sick over her love. Who wouldn't have been in her place? But luckily Washu's facilities were as good as they were and Ranma had nothing to worry about. "All right. Have fun, young lady." he said with a smile.

**  
**The redhead winced somewhat at the young lady comment but shrugged it off a few moments later. She'd accepted that she would be in female form for the next three months, even though she was still struggling with the concept that she was as much female as male. But she'd give it a try, for her love, her mother and herself. Shaking herself out of her musings she noticed that Katsuhito had busied himself with the newspaper and smiling to herself in face of some intense training she headed outside.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Walking purposefully Ranma soon reached the area where Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka were training, her keen hearing following the sounds of combat. Considering their powers it was a wise precaution to take the training outside and the lake she was headed for now actually offered a natural buffer if they got too carried away.

**  
**Standing in the background, unnoticed by the others Ranma evaluated the three warriors; for that was what they were, no martial artists but warriors. Something she might become too if she took up the offer of Katsuhito aka Yosho. Besides what they had done in their fight against the Android had little in common with sports. While watching and evaluating the others with one half of her mind Ranma sat down on the ground and engrossed herself in her thoughts with the other half, evaluating herself.

**  
**For her martial arts had always been just that, hadn't it? A sport. It had always been a competition with the others; Kuno, Mousse, Ryoga, the girls and even with people like Ryu Kumon and so many others. Seldom had it been a fight to the death. Sure the others had often _claimed_ that they wanted her dead but would anyone aside from Herb or Saffron and a select few really have had the guts to kill her? Sure, Kuno _had_ wanted to kill her male half time and time again but he was a nut-job and did not really count.

**  
**Ryoga for his part had really hated her in the past and _he_ could have killed her during the fiasco with the Koi-rod. She still remembered with dread how she had offered to Ryoga that he could kill her if that made him happy. Yet there and then Ryoga had proven that he could not really kill her; their relationship had always been one of discrepancies and only lately thanks to her love and to what had happened at Jusendo they were approaching something that could be called a tentative friendship.

**  
**Yes, Jusendo had been a turning point in many regards. From her fight with Saffron on things had begun to change, hadn't they? Before she'd always strived to be the best, to come out on top in various competitions; but the fight against Saffron had taken place on a wholly different level. That had been a real fight to the death, no simple competition.

**  
**As had been her recent fight against that Android. She also had to admit to herself that she had never felt that much hate before for anyone or anything as in the fight against the mechanical monstrosity; there and then she had justified her intent to kill with an overwhelming want to take revenge and the fact that the Android had been just a machine.

**  
**But did it really make a difference if one killed an Android or a living person? Wasn't the end result the same? An existence wiped out? Couldn't the Android have grown beyond what it had been programmed with like Zero? With a sigh she shook herself out of these fruitless musings. She could not change what had happened thus it was entirely fruitless to engross herself in speculations of what she could have done differently. Kasumi had worded it best some time ago: we can't change what has happened, we only can influence what can happen.

**  
**Yet she knew in the back of her head that she'd have to reconsider some things about her; she had already done some things that she'd vowed she'd never do as a martial artist. A martial artist protected the weak and served to defend; only if there was really no other option it was allowed to kill an opponent in self-defence. Technically she had done just that but the fact remained that she had taken two lives; even if one had regenerated and hatched again as a baby and the other had been artificial.

**  
**Those actions of hers did not comply with her views of what a martial artist should be, however. Her latest fights had changed from competitions to fights to the death; and those fights had also changed _her_ which was actually unsurprising. She did not feel like a martial artist any more but what was she? Yet she did not know. The only thing she did know for sure was that she was really considering taking up the offer her new grandfather had made, for he'd made some good points. But if she did that, wouldn't she cease to be a martial artist?

**  
**With yet another sigh she got into a standing position and the other half of her mind told her what it had observed. It was time to engage in some training to shoo away her inner demons.

**  
**-.-

**  
**It was however quite hard to get the attention of the others and at first Ranma did not try; rather she limited herself to watch the fight with her full attention. Ryoko and Ayeka fought in an unusual team against Tenchi and Ranma actually had a chance to see the famous Lighthawk wings in action. During the fight with the Android she had not had a chance to pay as much attention to them as she wanted but now she could get a closer look. And boy did Tenchi look impressive with that armour and sword of his!

**  
**Ryoko had her own energy sword out and was currently fencing with Tenchi while Ayeka was firing her energy blasts at the raven-haired youth; these blasts were however blocked by some kind of shield. It was plainly obvious that Tenchi was in the advantage which was probably due to the countless hours he had spent with his grandfather in training. Yes, she mused, if she wanted to learn the way of the sword Katsuhito would probably be the very best choice. Yet another reason why she should take him up on the offer.

**  
**From seeing how Tenchi wielded his weapon to the style he exhibited she suspected that she could learn a lot; yet as of now she was still torn between the teachings of her father, as stupid as they were and the need and want to follow at least somewhat in the footsteps of her mother.

**  
**Shaking herself out of her musings she called herself to order and concentrated on what lay ahead. Per her evaluation Tenchi was very good with his sword; it also helped that it was energised by his internal energies which would make it impossible to disarm him. Yet another advantage in a fight. Hmm, maybe she could really try something like that once she came more to grips with her powers. Also the promise of Ryoko to teach her how to make the energy sword still rang in her ears and made her grin.

**  
**To learn new techniques was one of the greatest things. A sword powered by her own internal energies… that would mean that she could not he disarmed. Yes, learning the Juraian sword-style from Katsuhito sounded better the more often she thought about it. Seeing how Tenchi dominated Ryoko in the sword-fight nearly decided her internal conflict if she should take to learning the way of the sword there and then. The ex-space pirate was clearly in the defence and only Ayeka's interference saved her at this point.

**  
**This brought her evaluation to Ryoko. Sure, the alien was tough and strong but she definitely lacked speed, style and technique. To put it bluntly she seemed to be largely untrained. But she had got tons of potential to build upon and what she lacked in those other categories she made more than up with her determination and obstinacy.

**  
**Taking a good look how Ryoko's ki flared especially high as she blocked a sword-strike of Tenchi; Ranma noticed that the ex-space pirate seemed to focus her whole ki through the jewellery she wore. Before she had been too caught up in her fights with either the real Ryoko or the fake one to make a detailed analysis but now she had a clear look at things.

**  
**Ryoko's ki felt about as weird as that of Tenchi, Ayeka and Katsuhito; it marked her as not of this world as Ranma now knew. Ryoko's ki was also different from that of the others. That she focussed it through those gems was the difference and that might make her dependable on those gems. Which might prove disadvantageous in the long run.

**  
**Nodding to herself Ranma vowed to find out what the exact purpose of those gems was. For if Ryoko used those gems to focus her powers she might get problems in the future. She had planned to teach some ki-building techniques to the others assuming that their ki could be raised. But as she had no clues towards the contrary she'd teach them and see what would happen.

**  
**But she'd have to find out how those gems affected Ryoko. She had no idea what the maximum capacity of those jewels was and it just would not do if those things blew up simply because she had not had enough knowledge about the matter. Nope, she'd never run off half-cooked like her stupid father had done so often in the past. Never would she endanger her students overly.

**  
**Well, that left her evaluation of Ayeka. In her opinion the princess was relying too much on her powers. Sure, her energy blasts were impressive and all and her shield surely useful. She was without a doubt powerful but she would benefit greatly from some more skills in hand-to-hand. The ki-building techniques she had planned for the three would also not hurt her.

**  
**Now the first thing she'd have to do was to get their speed up. Ranma mused to herself that Tenchi could outclass her completely with his Juraian powers but what if he ran into someone or something that was immune to those powers or could counter them like that Android? What if he ran into someone else with that kind of power?

**  
**Relying on only one thing was a bad idea, that she had learned lately; that was also why she was giving the thought how she wanted to maintain a family in the future great relevance. In reality she had no idea of the financial status of her Clan but what with her father she had to assume the worst. That meant that she'd have to earn the big Yen by herself which had led her to the thought that her martial arts and teaching at a Dojo (most probably the Tendo Dojo) might not necessarily be the only and best way.

**  
**But those thoughts were for later; now she'd do what she'd always wanted to do. Teach students. And hopefully she'd be just as good at teaching as she was at fighting.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Now that she'd seen enough of the powers of the others Ranma decided to take the matters of training into her own hands. Stepping closer to them she left her observing position and made her presence known with a cough. Instantly three heads turned towards her and the fighting ceased.

**  
**Tenchi smiled at his childhood-friend and let the armour and sword disappear; Ayeka directed a friendly but regal look her way. Ranma mused that it must be really tiring to always act the princess-part and despite all the privileges she might have Ranma would never want to change places with Ayeka.

**  
**Ryoko on her part was smirking mischievously at her; the smirk told her that it was nice to see her up and about but at the same time it said 'What has taken you so long?'

**  
**She walked towards the three and Ayeka and Ryoko, being women and thus more observant than Tenchi noticed it instantly. "Say… something is different about ya, Red."

**  
**Ayeka agreed. "Yes, it seems as if you have… grown?"

**  
**Ranma grinned and blushed while she suppressed a delighted look. "That's because I have!" she exclaimed and let the delight she felt at the fact finally shine through. "No longer am I so short so that I could be mistaken for a kid. And that feels great!"

**  
**Now Tenchi butted in as he too had finally noticed. "Hey, Ranma, congrats! Must have been pretty darn annoying to be so short in your female form, huh?"

**  
**"Tenchi!" Ayeka reprimanded. "One does not say such disrespectful things towards a woman!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Tenchi blushed and stammered; Ranma however waved it off. "Nah, no prob. I don't mind, Tenchi. B'sides you're right; it _is_ darn annoying to be so much shorter and lighter than my male form. But it seems as if things are setting themselves straight ever so slowly. I can tell ya that it feels great to be at least somewhat taller." she said with a grin.

**  
**Ayeka on her part looked at her rival. "She's got no pride in herself and acts way too much like a boy. We have to remedy this."

**  
**Ryoko nodded. "Yeah but we ain't gonna make a lady outta her. She'll be a right tomboy at best." she stated.

**  
**The first crown-princess bit back the comment that lay on the tip of her tongue. Instead she nodded. "Most probably. But we shall see about that."

**  
**Ranma on her part was looking from one girl to the next and presented warding signs. "Eep! I'm just here ta train with ya! Don't wanna be stuffed inta some skirt or nothing!"

**  
**Ayeka laid a hand around her shoulder. "Don't worry, Ranma. We will help you become a girl. Isn't that right, Ryoko?"

**  
**The ex-space pirate nodded. "Ya betcha. Red, we'll gonna make ya the kinda gal yer love can impossibly resist."

**  
**The redhead eeped once more and sent a pleading look at Tenchi; her childhood-friend however just shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of helplessness and his facial expression said that she was on her own in this. Mouthing 'traitor' at him she tried to distract the girls. "Hey ya two I wanted ta plan with ya how ta make yer speed-training. We can talk about anythin' else later." **'A lot later! Maybe when I'm forty?'** she added mentally.

**  
**Thankfully her diversion worked as Ryoko, Ayeka and even the 'traitor' looked very interested. Ranma sat down on the ground and the others followed her example. "Tenchi, I noticed in the fight with the Android that you couldn't use your… ki as you would normally. That thing seemed to be able to block it somehow. Am I right to assume that you can use your Juraian powers to increase your strength and speed?"

**  
**Tenchi nodded. "Among other things. I can use my Juraian powers to do what you described and I can form three Lighthawk wings with them. You already saw the shield, armour and the sword. However as you saw they were quite useless against the Android. But what can I do against it?"

**  
**The Saotome girl smiled. She had already thought about it. "Well you could change the frequency of your ki. From my scan of your aura I know that your ki consists of both human ki and something else that I assume is your Juraian ki; its good that your ki is a mixture of both otherwise it would have been more complicated. With enough ki-training you will be able to change the frequency of your ki so that something like what happened yesterday can't happen again. However learning those techniques will take some time." she said with a sigh. "If only there was a way to speed things up… or to do it like the warriors in Dragonball Z… that timechamber would really be cool." she mused.

**  
**The raven-haired youth nodded while Ayeka and Ryoko absorbed this. "But what can we do in the meantime? Isn't there some way to enhance my natural speed and that of Ayeka and Ryoko?"

**  
**Ranma's smile deepened. "As far as I see it you're a normal if skilled human when you don't access your Juraian powers, right?"

**  
**Tenchi nodded and Ranma continued. "Then it is more than just possible to enhance your natural speed. The same goes for you, Ayeka, Ryoko. There is a technique I had to learn in order to beat Elder Cologne when she tried to blackmail me into marrying Shampoo."

**  
**"What did she do ta ya, Red?" Ryoko asked.

**  
**The redhead sighed and launched herself into an explanation of the cat's tongue incident that had led to the fight for the Phoenix pill; she also described how she had learned the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken. "She did that to you, Ranma? And despite that you're allies with her and her tribe? Had someone done that to me I would have blasted them into the next dimension!" Ayeka exclaimed.

**  
**"Ya got that right, princess!" Ryoko exclaimed.

**  
**Tenchi had remained silent as he assumed that Ranma had her reasons for that. And Ranma had. "You know, that was in the beginning when she'd just come over from China. The old ghoul as I called her back then was just too set in her ways. You know they've got this really strange set of rules they live by or used to live by." she began and in the following minutes she explained the outsider rules to the other three.

**  
**When she was finished with the statement that Elder Cologne had promised to banish the outsider rules completely three "About times" chorused. Ranma nodded. "I _hated_ these disgusting laws and it's good that Elder Cologne was not overly fond of them either. What happened to Shampoo was just the straw that broke the back of the camel and she did her all to throw these stupid rules onto the rubbish heap of history. Ya know mainly I accepted to become an ally of their tribe cause I wanted ta have them off my back with a way so that Shampoo could keep her honour. She's done a lot of stupid things but she did them outta love. I really didn't want to see her gettin' hurt so I accepted the pact with my conditions. Actually Elder Cologne ain't so bad; she taught me a lot of stuff and now that the bout with being her 'son-in-law' is over she's actually helpful."

**  
**The others nodded in understanding but Ryoko snickered. "Heh heh heh… at the moment ya'd be more of a _daughter_-in-law, Red!" she exclaimed between guffaws.

**  
**Ranma looked indignant and wanted to retort but Ayeka lay at hand on her arm. "Don't, Ranma. It would neither be dignified nor lady-like."

**  
**The redhead looked at her with wide eyes and sweatdropped. Damn! It seemed as if Ayeka would really be on her case what with being lady-like. And Ryoko knew it too as her fresh bout of snickers proved. Man that would be some months here! Sighing dejectedly she nodded towards Ayeka. "A… nyway I had ta learn that speed-technique to overcome the Elder; it's the one you saw me use against Ryoko and that evil Android. Very useful but not easy ta learn cause its painful."

**  
**Tenchi looked at her with interest as did the other girls. "How did you learn it, Ranma?" the grandson of Katsuhito asked.

**  
**Ranma grimaced. "Ya know there's more than one way ta learn it. One is ta pick chestnuts outta a bowl while they're been roasted over a fire. As I couldn't stand any heat at that time that wasn't an option. The father of my love, Soun Tendo suggested I go to the carnival to distract myself. That I did. Akane 'n me went there 'n she tried ta catch kois. However she was too… umm…" she trailed off, trying to find a polite way to describe Akane's clumsiness.

**  
**"Klutzy?" supplied Ryoko, ever the one to be blunt.

**  
**The redhead nodded. "That. Thus _I_ tried; and I was already not so bad regarding speed thus I managed to catch quite a lot of koi. However to win I had ta catch live piranha with my bare hands! And without any protection ta boot!" she said with a serious expression which then changed into a grin. "Ta make a long story short in the end I succeeded."

**  
**Needless to say the other three were bug-eyed. "Umm… is there any other way to become faster?" Tenchi asked.

**  
**Ayeka nodded. "That sounds not like something a princess should do…"

**  
**Only Ryoko shrugged her shoulders. "Been through worse. I'd go for that chestnuts outta the fire pickin' thing. But maybe Washu can help us here if our little princess is too scared…" she teased.

**  
**Ayeka just rolled her eyes and snorted "Grow up."

**  
**"I grew up a long time ago." retorted Ryoko.

**  
**"Then grow up some more." countered Ayeka with a smirk.

**  
**"Not before you." grinned Ryoko, wanting to have the last word out of general principles.

**  
**"Are you 7, or 17?" she muttered.

**  
**"Physically 17, mentally…well, my therapist won't look me in the eyes so…" Ryoko trailed off.

**  
**"Very funny, Ryoko." Ayeka said and scowled. "It's undignified for a princess of Jurai to bicker thus I'll not lower myself to this level. The cleverer give in."

**  
**Ryoko only smirked. "So you admit defeat, princess?"

**  
**Ranma had watched this exchanged with interest and amusement, and her expression had said 'Are they often like this?' while Tenchi had just shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. Knowing that the situation could escalate despite the fact that Ryoko and Ayeka had undoubtedly made progress Tenchi added his own comment just in time to prevent an exchange of profanities between the first crown princess of Jurai and the ex-space pirate. "Ryoko's suggestion is a risk but asking _her_ might be our only option. To be honest, Ranma, I'm not fond of both alternatives you suggested as they pose too great a risk for injuries."

**  
**Ranma raised a brow. "Tenchi, injuries will remind ya that ya did something wrong; they also remind ya that yer still alive. Believe me pain can be a great teacher." she said with hooded eyes. "There're also some ways to increase your overall speed I'm going to teach you but they won't be a bed of roses. But in the end you'll be loads better for it, I guarantee it."

**  
**Ryoko, Ayeka and Tenchi shared a look. Then the three nodded. For Ranma they'd give it a try but they'd slow her down should she try to do anything like her father had done to her; not that she'd do it voluntarily but maybe she wouldn't be able to help it seeing as she'd never been taught otherwise.

**  
**Tenchi spoke up for them. "Okay. We will do it; and I'd say I speak for all of us that we'll be using the chestnuts-variant should Lil' Washu not come up with something else. Personally I like my fingers attached to my hands, thank you very much. Ryoko, could you contact Lil' Washu and ask her to meet us in the main room? Thanks." he said with a smile, not noticing the effect it had on Ryoko.

**  
**Said ex-space pirate blushed somewhat and used her link to relate what Tenchi wanted. Some moments later Ryoko was back to reality. "Man was she grumpy. Betcha she was busy going over the data she got on ya, Red. But she'll meet us in the main room in two hours. Said she'd turn all of us into Denebian slugs if we disturbed her again within the next two hours."

**  
**Ranma nodded, simply ignoring Washu-chan's behaviour. Seemed to be par for the course anyway. She was however quite satisfied that her new students saw the need to undergo some pain in the name of training. But she'd make sure that it would be nothing like what her father had put _her_ through. That she'd vowed on her honour.

**  
**In the time they had to themselves until Washu-chan would have time for them Ranma began to instruct the others in the basic moves of the Anything Goes style and pointed out the flaws she'd detected and showed them how it was done correctly. The redhead was happy to see that her three students took to the Art like fish to water.

**  
**As she had surmised Ayeka was the most advanced of her three pupils regarding the Art but Tenchi and Ryoko displayed their adaptability; especially Ryoko was very motivated seeing that Ranma had promised her a rematch at any time she wanted.

**  
**To say that both girls were looking forward to that would have been an understatement. The brief spar they had engaged in while Tenchi and Ayeka had been sparring had been nothing more than an appetiser and Ranma had used the opportunity to point out the flaws in Ryoko's defence.

**  
**Satisfied that Ryoko followed her advice and avoided making the same mistakes again she made good on her promise, earlier than Ryoko had hoped for. But Ranma had planned the rematch as a good opportunity to show the cyan-haired girl that she had a long ways to go.

**  
**After she had pointed out the flaws in Tenchi's and Ayeka's defence and helped eliminate them she let the two spar with each other while she and Ryoko were having their rematch. As Ranma planned to show Ryoko that the other girl would need to train hard to improve to levels were she would be able to hold her own against her she planned not to hold back in the slightest; she'd make use of her speed-advantage to the fullest.

**  
**Besides, she still had to test out her increased strength. The beating she planned to dish out to Ryoko would also have the effect that Ryoko would try so much harder to become better. And a motivated student whose goal it was to beat you would learn so much better. A win-win-situation, as far as a certain redhead was concerned.

**  
**Thus, over the course of the next thirty minutes Ranma proceeded to give Ryoko yet another sound trashing during which she also lived up to her ambition to be a sensei through pointing out why she had been able to penetrate Ryoko's defences after the match and what she, Ryoko could do against it.

**  
**The ex-space pirate had indeed been soundly defeated in the end, even though she had used a lot of her special techniques, but Ranma was proud of her; Ryoko was a fast learner and with some speed-training which would hopefully begin soon she'd be able to improve dramatically.

**  
**Ranma on her part looked forward to branch out the Anything Goes Style into a full-air Art instead of the mid-air Art it had been limited to until now; but considering her new ability to fly and considering that Ryoko could fly too she'd be able to take the Anything Goes Style to a wholly new level. Granted, that could only be done once Ryoko had caught up to a decent level but hopefully that would not take too long. The redhead's eyes glinted in face of all the possibilities.

**  
**Tenchi and Ayeka would also be easy to teach seeing as they had fought so many battles before; all three were professionals and listened intently to what she had to teach them. All in all the first light training session had been very promising and Ranma could hardly wait to teach them the Anything Goes style in its entireness, complaints of Master Happosai be damned. Besides, what he did not know wouldn't hurt him. And if he _should_ find out by chance she could still challenge Happosai for the title of Grandmaster of the school. With her abilities she should be able to cream him any time.

**  
**Satisfied with the progress of her pupils the four ended the session, seeing as the two hours were over. As Ranma analyzed the training she smiled to herself. It was a good thing that her new students didn't have their heads in the clouds regarding their own abilities for it would make teaching them so much easier. In short order they'd worked out a training schedule that was satisfying to all participants. The full training would either start this afternoon or tomorrow, depending on what Washu-chan would come up with.

**  
**Together the four youths made their way back to the house, unsure of what to expect from Washu but filled with anticipation. Meetings with her were always bound to be interesting.

**  
to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	27. Just visiting – Nerima style

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 27: Just visiting – Nerima style**

**  
**When Tenchi, Ranma, Ayeka and Ryoko arrived in the main-room (Ranma still marvelled at how spacious this _one_ single room was) they noticed that Washu was already sitting on one of the sofas. She was clad in a red jumpsuit that went excellently with the colour of her hair and the scientist was presently busy sipping from her coffee.

**  
**The diminutive scientist noticed the newcomers instantly and sent a glare their way that told them that they had interrupted her with something important. Ryoko however had assured Ranma that Washu was always this way when she got called out of her lab and that she should think nothing of it. So the other redhead did just that and sat down while the others followed her example.

**  
**A grumpy Washu looked at Tenchi. "So what do you want from me? I was right in the middle of a great scientific discovery so it better be important!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Tenchi sweatdropped. Whoa she was really in a funk. "It _is_, little Washu. Our request pertains our training, among other things; as you certainly know from your observations we fared… err, rather badly against that Android. Ranma here has offered to increase our natural speed so that we don't have to rely on our special powers so much. And that's where _you_ come in."

**  
**Washu nodded to herself. She still maintained her grumpy expression but her interest had been picked; and sadly, for her, Tenchi knew this. "Right. And what can the greatest scientific genius in the universe do for you?"

**  
**Ryoko rolled her eyes at her mother's antics. "Red here knows a way how ta increase our speed." she began and then described the chestnut-fist and how it was learned.

**  
**Ayeka nodded after Ryoko had ended. "Yes, and now we want to know if you can think of a way to make it a bit… safer. I must admit that I'm not very fond of both methods. Do you have suggestions, Washu-chan?"

**  
**Washu's eyes gleamed like always when her genius intellect was challenged. "So this is a speed-exercise you say… hmm if we use the water-method less injuries are going to ensue if we replace the piranhas with something more safe… on the other hand I could provide you with portable shields to protect you from the heat generated by the other method… then I could also invent artificial koi that deal out mild electric shocks if you don't catch them in a given amount of time… of course I'd have to arrange it thusly that the combined strength of the electric discharge of all koi won't kill you…" she mused to herself; then she looked up with a cheerful expression. "Those are your options. Your choice."

**  
**The four teens stuck their heads together and discussed. Ranma strongly suggested using the water method as they implicitly needed the stimulus of at least mild pain to improve. Using a shield to block away the heat in the alternate method would be cheating and not have the desired effect. This argument served to convince the other teens. Once more it was Tenchi who acted as spokes-man for the other two. "We have decided upon the water-variant, little Washu. How soon can you have them ready?"

**  
**The scientist looked at her watch. "Hmm, now we have 1 p.m. … Ryoko, contact me again in four hours. Is there anything else or can this genius get to work again?"

**  
**Ranma nearly didn't dare to ask but as she feared nothing she piped up. "Actually there is, little Washu. I need your help in contacting my mother and Mr. Tendo. They've gotta know what happened and I'm sure the two will wanta visit once they're brought up to date. But I got no idea how ta contact mom except via mail. Who knows when she's gonna check her inbox next? And as I dunno the phone-number of the Dojo and as my love ain't in no condition to tell… well ya catch my drift."

**  
**Washu's eyes lit up at having yet another challenge presented to her genius intellect. "The first part is easy. That's something you can do too, by the way. Just use the net and use the phone-book from the net. Wait, I'll create a wifi user-profile for you so that you can log in. Any preferences regarding your username?"

**  
**The redhead grinned. "Yes. I go by 'wild child'."

**  
**The other redhead nodded. To each their own. "Done. The password is preset and you can change it in your user-profile on your own. I suggest you get your laptop and log in, Ranma."

**  
**Ranma smirked, reached into her stuffspace and pulled her laptop out. Washu who saw her doing this feat for the first time got gleaming eyes. Damn, she was an even more fascinating specimen than she'd thought. She really wanted to uncover how Ranma had gotten as powerful as she was; that had actually been the project she'd been working on.

**  
**The reactions of the others were the same. "Can… can you teach us that technique, Ranma?" Ayeka asked nearly eagerly but with just enough composure worthy of a princess. It just wouldn't do for a princess to sound like she was begging but she had to learn that technique and thus she'd probably sounded half-begging. Who cared?

**  
**The Saotome girl smiled. "Sure can. It's a great technique for storing stuff and comes in especially handy for storing weapons which I'm sure ya will wanta."

**  
**Both Ryoko and Ayeka nodded and smirked. Ryoko had indeed her energy-sword she could form with her own power but it surely did not hurt to have a nice plasma rifle or photon cannon up the sleeve. Yes she could think of a lot of practical uses for such a technique.

**  
**Tenchi on his part was interested too as he could see the uses of that technique. His thoughts were running along the same line as Ryoko's. He had his energy sword but to have some backup would not hurt.

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma had begun to work her laptop and the OS had already loaded. Currently Ranma was busy scanning for a wifi just as she had been taught. Like last time when Katsuhito had helped her she found it without difficulty.

**  
**Then when she had to login she entered her username and handed the laptop to Washu. The scientist typed away, hammered enter and gave the laptop back to Ranma. "There you go. Now you can surf the web. But don't forget to change the pass. I don't want to be bothered each time you want to login."

**  
**Ranma smirked. "As you wish, great Washu-chan." she exclaimed in jest and immediately did as the diminutive scientist had requested.

**  
**Washu threw her hands into the air. "Finally someone who appreciates my genius!" she exclaimed theatrically. "And now I'll be in my lab to think about a way how to get your mother and that other person you mentioned over here. And yes, I won't forget your artificial kois. As if the greatest scientist in the universe would forget something… so if you'd excuse me…" she said and exited the room without waiting for an answer.

**  
**Ryoko and the others just looked at Ranma and shrugged, their gesture saying 'That's normal for her, think nothing of it.' Ranma just smiled and nodded while she was busy searching the web. She had to admit to herself that being female had one advantage she had noticed: she was even better at multitasking in this form and that came in very handy.

**  
**Soon she had found a web-phonebook and mere moments later she had found out the phone-number of the Tendo Dojo. "Good. I have the number. Now does anyone know a way how to call them without giving away where we are?"

**  
**Tenchi looked at her. "You mean as in anonymous?" he asked,

**  
**Ranma nodded. But before she could say anything further suddenly a cell-phone materialised out of thin air and dropped into her lap. A note was attached to it and the redhead read it. "Anticipated your request. This cell-phone can not be traced by anyone on this planet. Have fun. Washu-chan." she read aloud. "Wow, your mother is really good!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Ryoko nodded. "That she is if she does not try ta drag Tenchi into the lab. Or if her next experiment ain't threatening ta blow the planet ta bits. Or…"

**  
**"We get the image!" three other voices exclaimed.

**  
**Ryoko looked sheepish. "Okay okay. No need to chew on my ear."

**  
**Ranma smiled. "No worries there. I like the ears of my love way better!" she said as she dialled the number of the dojo.

**  
**Moments later she had a female voice on the other end of the line.

**  
**_"Moshi moshi?"_

**  
**"Hey Nabiki could you please get me mom?"

**  
**_"Ranma? Is that you?"_ the middle Tendo daughter asked.

**  
**"Yeah it's me."

**  
**_"Hey kiddo. I take it from the tone of your voice that this is no social call?"_ the other girl asked.

**  
**"Sharp as ever, Nabiki. I really gotta talk to mom. Something has happened."

**  
**_"Don't tell me you or Kasumi got pregnant already!"_

**  
**At her end of the line Ranma presented warding signs. "WHAT! No way! Err, I mean no." she added sheepishly which told dialogue partner some juicy details without telling them. "Please get me mom now."

**  
**_"Okay okay, kiddo."_ Nabiki answered and obviously went to fetch Nodoka.

**  
**Suddenly loud voices could be heard from the other end of the line and mere seconds later another female voice spoke into the handset. _"Ranma? What has happened, my child?"_

**  
**Ranma collected herself. "Hi, mom. Something… has happened here. The house got attacked and Kasumi got injured. Mom, he nearly got killed cause he tried ta save me! And I had no chance to tell him how much I love him! And I thought he was dead!" she exclaimed nearly ready to erupt into a torrent of tears due to the memories.

**  
**Her mother did not even think to reprimand her child for being unmanly. This was her daughter in distress; and like any good mother Nodoka decided to act. _"Ranma, dear, we'll get to you as soon as possible. I want to see Kasumi and you and I'm sure that Soun will want to too. Don't worry about your father; Nabiki can keep an eye on him. Lately we've got him under control quite well."_ she said and one could hear the mirth in her voice.

**  
**Just hearing her mother so supportive instead of reprimanding served to raise Ranma's mood. The silent support she felt from her friends in the background was a big help too. "Thanks, mom. At the moment he's healing but I'm so worried! And I can't do nothing about it!"

**  
**She could nearly hear the smile her mother wore. _"That's only natural, dear. You love him and care for him; that's nothing to be ashamed of. Rather the opposite, my daughter. I wish your father would care as much about me as you do about Kasumi. But now we're coming. We'll arrive as soon as possible."_

**  
**"Mom? Please stay put. Washu-chan – that is the scientist that saved Kasumi – is currently working on a way to get you over to us as fast as possible. And believe me she _can_." Ranma said.

**  
**She felt a slight tapping on her shoulder and saw that Tenchi obviously wanted to talk to her mother. With a questioning look she complied and handed the cell-phone to him. "Hello Mrs. Saotome? I'm Tenchi Masaki. Yeah, Ranma's childhood-friend and the grandson of Katsuhito. What Ranma said is right. You really _should_ stay put as Washu, our resident scientist will come up with something. Whatever may happen at your home in the next few minutes will probably be very unusual but it will be just us. Probably an additional door will appear somewhere in your home or something like that. Think nothing of it; just expect us and stay put."

**  
**Silence reigned for a few moments on the other end of the line. Then… _"Okay, young man. We will do as you suggested. How soon can we expect these… unusual happenings?"_

**  
**Tenchi thought for a moment. "Wait a second there, Mrs. Saotome…" he answered and laid the cell-phone onto the table. "Ryoko please contact Lil' Washu and ask her how far she has come in her problem solving. Knowing her she should have come up with something by now."

**  
**Ryoko contacted her mother on her usual way and nodded to herself a few moments later. "You were right, Tenchi. She has indeed found a solution."

**  
**The grandson of Yosho picked the cell-phone up once more. "Mrs. Saotome? You should expect something in the next twenty minutes I'd say. Maybe you should pack some things for the night as I'm sure you might want to stay overnight."

**  
**_"That is a good idea, young man. We'll be expecting anything within the next twenty minutes. Could you please give me my daughter?"_

**  
**"Of course, Mrs. Saotome. Here." he said and handed Ranma the cell.

**  
**"Mom?" she asked.

**  
**_"Dear, we'll be there soon. I love you, daughter."_

**  
**Ranma smiled and wiped away a lone tear at the same time. "I love you too, mom."

**  
**Both Saotome women said "Bye." at the same time and hung up respectively.

**  
**The redhead at the Masaki house felt good that she was finally able to express her feelings better. If only it had not asked such a high price…

**  
**-.-

**  
**Ranma had just hung up when Washu came storming out of her lab. With impatient gestures she waved the four youths into her lab. Without waiting for them she approached one of her doors and entered. Having little choice the four followed like ducklings their mother.

**  
**They exited the door and reappeared in the newly equipped living area of the lab Washu had created for herself. The diminutive scientist was already sitting on a comfy looking couch, sipping from a cup of tea. A sophisticated looking device was lying on the table.

**  
**Looking at each other the four sat down. "Is that…" asked Ranma.

**  
**Washu nodded. "Yup. With that device I'll be able to create one of my doors at the Tendo Dojo. How you ask? Easily. I just applied my genius intellect to the task et voila… it was really easy. I used my cloaked satellite in orbit to locate the Tendo Dojo, placed a subspace marker through an equally cloaked drone I sent via subspace-travel and we had our connection. Oh you ask how I did it? Now that would be too complicated to explain as you'd have to know the working principles of quantum physics to understand it. Which you don't. To put it simple: if I push this button," she pointed to a big red button, "a door to the Tendo Dojo will appear. Thusly." she said and pushed the button.

**  
**All four watched fascinated and moments later one of Washu's customary doors appeared in the back of the room. Ranma just stomached that and the idea that this door led to the Tendo Dojo, a place that was several hundred miles away. Apparently nearly nothing was impossible for Washu and she'd do her utmost to stay on her good side. "Cool!" she exclaimed and looked appropriately impressed. Fact that obviously pleased little Washu. "It really seems that nothing is impossible for you, Washu-chan. Could I ask you to find a way to put one years worth of training into one day, or maybe a few days? That shouldn't be hard after what you did."

**  
**The redheaded scientist's eyes lit up at being faced with yet another challenge. "Considering how busy I've been lately I never thought about something like that… but it sounds challenging. Call me back on it in a few days and I just might have a solution." she said and Ranma quickly hid her surprise and nodded. She'd only been joking…

**  
**"Okay, what are we waiting for?" exclaimed Tenchi. "Let's do it! Else you don't want us there, Ranma…"

**  
**Ranma just smiled. "You're my friends. All of you. Of course I want you with me in this."

**  
**The other three smiled and little Washu on her part was very glad for her daughter. It really seemed as if she'd finally found a real friend; even if she was as much a rival. Not for Tenchi but regarding fighting so much more. "I'll stay behind and ensure that everything goes smoothly. Enjoy the ride." she said with a cackle.

**  
**Tenchi raised a brow at that. "Umm little Washu… this door _is_ like your others, right?"

**  
**The diminutive redhead pouted. "You're no fun, Tenchi. Always asking me to spoil my own fun. But ookay… yes it is like my other doors. You'll feel nothing different. Just step in here and exit at your destination. Now leave me be." she grumbled.

**  
**Four teens looked at each other and shrugged. With a last wave at Washu they walked towards the door; Ranma opened it and entered first, the others followed suit. The door closed behind them and no evidence remained that they had been there a few moments ago.

**  
**-.-

**  
**At a certain Dojo several hundred miles away from Okayama several figures had congregated around a door that had mysteriously appeared right next to the furo door. Nodoka had let Soun in on everything except that love had blossomed between their children and she'd once more been pleasantly surprised that he had not erupted into a torrent of tears at hearing that his oldest child had been injured.

**  
**Rather his appearance had taken on something steely of which Nodoka did not know the meaning. But it was at least better than having to yell at him for being weak. The two of them had packed some things they'd need and had stashed in into the backpack Soun wore.

**  
**Nabiki was also gathered at the door as well as Genma. He was at present nursing several lumbs courtesy of Nabiki; the two of them, Nodoka and Nabiki had an excellent understanding and were by now an efficient team when it came to dealing with the him.

**  
**Nodoka had been very impressed with Nabiki's capabilities and she admired the courage of the girl; for she'd told her very detailed what she had done to her daughter and why. She had also admitted that she'd gone overboard from time to time and that she should have acted differently. Nodoka had just listened and had made herself a picture of Nabiki. She'd been convinced that Nabiki was in the process of changing when she'd told her that she'd given Ranma (or now Ranma) all the excess money she'd earned through her.

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter had also told her that she'd given up her position as the highschool racketeer and that she'd find other ways to finance the Dojo. Especially now that her father had vowed to teach again. Finally Nodoka had made a decision and had followed the example of her child; she had forgiven Nabiki for what she'd done but had reprimanded her that she'd better stay on the path she'd begun to walk.

**  
**She'd also admonished her to apologise to Akane and to make up to her what she'd done to her little sister. Nabiki had agreed after some arguing simply out of necessity; she _had_ wronged her sister even if Akane had acted like a spoiled brat and thus it was only just and right to try and undo the damage that had been done. Maybe they could become a family again if the problems got actually worked on instead of just being blamed upon a certain pigtailed youth.

**  
**That was how Nodoka and Nabiki had come to an understanding and Nodoka had actually hired Nabiki to get as much information on the doings of her husband in the last ten years. Nabiki had complied gladly as she could never refuse a challenge to her abilities as an information seeker. Already her research had uncovered a lot of interesting things; things that had made a certain Nodoka Saotome quite furious and which had resulted in what Nabiki and Akane had dubbed 'Panda bashing'.

**  
**As for Akane, she had improved constantly under the guidance of Elder Cologne as well as the help of Dr. Jagakawa; it had really helped that the Elder had taught Akane the stuffspace-technique. This way Akane could still reach for a mallet when needed but this one was a lot less dangerous for her and her surroundings. After only two days the Elder had beaten the instinct to use her ki to form a mallet out of her little sister which had also been due to the medication.

**  
**And a calmer Akane could obviously learn a lot faster than an enraged Akane for it had only taken her two more days after that to master the stuffspace-technique. Everyone had been glad for her; well, not really everyone as Genma was the one who had to suffer the brunt of Akane's malletings. For after Nodoka had had a heart-to-heart talk with Akane and everything had been cleared up she had agreed to help Auntie to reeducate a certain husband of Nodoka Saotome. As Genma still was his usual misogynistic self Akane had all the justification she needed to use her new technique to mallet the stupid panda into LEO. Only if necessary of course, which had been less and less the case as Genma had seemed to learn his lesson.

**  
**Nabiki and Nodoka shared a look. The vista of the Saotome matriarch said 'be on your guard' and Nabiki nodded. Luckily she too had undergone the training in the stuffspace; it was a technique she had just not been able to resist for it was so damn useful. Indeed she owed the Elder now a favour but she already had a very good plan on how to pay it back. But right now they had to keep Genma in line.

**  
**It would probably only be minutes now until Ranma arrived. And it would just not do for Genma to learn where she and her sister (or probably brother now) stayed. They deserved their peace and quiet and considering what auntie had told her about the developing relationship between Ranma and her sibling their privacy had to be preserved.

**  
**Considering Genma's invisibility technique Nodoka and Nabiki were on their guard in case he would try something stupid. After all, should he learn of the location of Ranma's and Kasumi's stay it could not be ruled out that he could be swayed by certain parties in Nerima to spill the beans. Genma was not known for thinking things through and if someone waved enough Yen in his face… that was something that had to be prevented at all costs.

**  
**Suddenly the new door opened and Nodoka was instantly on her guard in case she needed to keep her husband in line. Nabiki had her new mallet stored in stuff space too, just in case. It was a special model with titanium shaft and lay very good in the hand. It had not been necessary to use it that often in the past weeks seeing as the threat of using it had been enough to keep Genma in line.

**  
**It seemed he was slowly learning that the teachings of his master regarding women was not the lore and seeing as Happosai had been away for some time now Genma had had some time to think about it. But right now, seeing as Happosai was back from his Europe tour Genma just could not be trusted; thus Nodoka had admonished him to behave.

**  
**Seeing that Genma was not stupid, just often too greedy for his own good he heeded their advice and waited for his son to arrive while hanging to his own thoughts. He hoped that he would be able to convince his son to remain a man as much as possible. Genma wanted his son back; he did not like to admit it, but he missed Ranma and their spars. The Saotome patriarch only hoped that it was not too late. Hopefully his strong son had not been turned into a weak girl by now…

**  
**-.-

**  
**Ranma and the others had just stepped through the door as they had already reappeared at the other end, their destination. She had barely exited the door when she was suddenly engulfed in a bonecrushing hug by her mother. "Oh Ranma you are alright! I was so worried when I heard the story!" she exclaimed.

**  
**The younger redhead on her part was slowly turning blue. "Moom! Mind easing… up some? Gotta… breathe!" she exclaimed.

**  
**The other three newcomers surveyed this with some amusement. Especially Tenchi surveyed Ranma's mother very intently. So that was the apprentice of his grandfather. Yes, she was apparently a formidable woman and had a striking resemblance with her daughter. Using his senses he perceived that she was unusually strong; her power-level was nothing to laugh at, that he recognised even though he had just started training on how to sense auras and power-levels a few months back. Now it was apparent from whom Ranma had gotten her strength and power.

**  
**Meanwhile a somewhat blushing Nodoka had indeed eased up on her child, much to Ranma's relief. "Sorry, daughter. It's just so good to see you even if it's under such unfavourable circumstances."

**  
**With that Soun came around the corner. He'd wanted to fetch something he'd said he had forgotten. But upon laying eyes on Ranma he erupted into the demon-head. "RANMA! HOW COULD YOU LET MY PRECIOUS BABY GET HURT!"

**  
**Genma who saw too much of a girl in his son for his taste took the same line. "Yes, boy! You're such a disgrace! Did I bring you up to be a man among men or not? A man would have been able to protect Kasumi! You shame your honourable father! It's all your fault Kasumi got hurt! Why did you have to become such a weak girl? Oh why was I so cursed by the Kami?" Genma exclaimed theatrically.

**  
**He had not been told the exact circumstances but he knew that Kasumi had gotten injured; and due to the fact that Ranma had accompanied her and failed to protect her it had to be his fault. His fault because he had been in this weak girl-form. Hopefully his speech would bring home the point that Ranma had to become and remain a strong man again.

**  
**Ranma on her part was unprepared for such an unexpected onslaught. Despite the assurances of the others that it had not been her fault she had not forgiven herself for what had happened and pressed herself into her mother and started to shake. Having seen enough Ryoko intervened on Ranma's behalf. Indeed she was here in the house of someone else but that did not hinder her to teach some truths.

**  
**With blazing eyes she rounded up on the two men, ready to deal out a severe tongue-lashing. "Have some respect for Ranma! Had it not been for her we all would have been _dead_! It ain't her fault that your son got hurt! He threw himself inta a blast aimed for Ranma! He wanted ta protect the one he loves most and ya know what? He's a hero for that in my eyes! But don't ya dare blame Red here for this! She has crucified herself for it even if it ain't her fault! It was your sons' decision and with it he saved us all. Ranma here is not ta blame for what he did! The one that is, is destroyed. By Ranma!"

**  
**Soun visibly deflated at hearing this. As always he had assumed that Ranma was the one to blame and apparently he had been wrong to jump to conclusions. As so often. With a sigh Soun looked at Ranma who was presently being hugged by Nodoka. The Saotome matriarch had reacted instinctively and had soothed her shaking daughter. The redhead had just not expected to be blamed for everything, seeing as everyone at the Masaki household had done the exact opposite.

**  
**Ranma had by now calmed down somewhat and looked thankfully at Ryoko. The other understood and nodded with a lopsided smile.

**  
**A certain Genma Saotome however thought to add his own thoughts. "A martial artist has to protect the weak, boy! How do you want to protect the weak if you can't protect yourself? You shame your father. You're nothing more than a weak, worthless girl." he stated.

**  
**Ranma who had recovered enough to be emotional stable again, seethed. But she did not have to move a single finger to deal out some punishment. With a smirk Ryoko turned around to her. "Let me guess, this is your father, eh, Ranma?" she asked with an undertone, and the redhead nodded. "Mind if I show him _my_ version of reeducation?"

**  
**By now Ranma smirked evilly. It was a smirk that would have had even the most battle-hardened soldiers running for the hills. "But of course not, Ryoko. Feel free to do whatever you deem necessary. If it's okay with you, mother…"

**  
**Said Nodoka Saotome looked at her daughter, then at her husband and finally at Ryoko. "Not at all. It seems as if all the progress we thought we had made was for naught. Maybe your oaf of a father will listen if somebody else preaches some truths to him."

**  
**Ryoko's eyes gleamed as she advanced on Genma. As he knew nothing about Ryoko and seeing that the ex-space pirate did not look that impressive he faced her with a taunting smirk. "And what can a spiky-haired little girl like you do to me?"

**  
**That was indeed the wrong question to ask as Genma Saotome found out a few moments later. With a snarl Ryoko ignited her energy sword and began to chase a rapidly running Saotome patriarch who had found out just what this 'spiky-haired girl' could do. "Not another mad-woman with a sword!" he exclaimed as he ran out of the house and into the garden.

**  
**What followed were loud yelps of pain that echoed throughout the compound but seeing as Nabiki had sold sound-proofing to the neighbours a long time ago nobody cared. The others followed Ryoko and Genma out of curiosity and as soon as they entered the garden they saw how Genma slipped into the Umi-sen-ken.

**  
**Unsurprisingly Ryoko was frustrated but seeing as Ranma was still able to sense his ki due to her improved senses Genma was far from safe. "Ryoko, he is five feet to your left." she said and therewith prevented a sneak attack.

**  
**With a smirk Ryoko cancelled her sword and fired a large energy-blast at that exact spot and mere moments later a singed Genma became visible. "Betrayed by my own flesh and blood…" he whined.

**  
**"If you weren't such a woman hating oaf but a father instead things might be different." Ranma countered with a huff.

**  
**"Yeah!" Ryoko exclaimed. "To say that women are weak is utter bullshit! And now face your punishment like a man!"

**  
**Genma barely had time to eep before Ryoko gave chase. Her energy-sword formed in her right hand and she began slashing away at the Saotome patriarch. The cyan-haired alien was careful not to do too much damage as she was quite certain that Ranma and her mother would prefer Genma alive even despite his attitude. But that did not mean that she could not put the fear of God into the man.

**  
**Grinning a slightly demented grin she used her ability of duplication in order to achieve her goal. Everyone except for Tenchi and Ayeka boggled at the display. "I know I haven't had any sake so why am I seeing double?" the Tendo patriarch muttered.

**  
**Tenchi smiled. "Think nothing of it. That's just one of her powers." he explained.

**  
**The others nodded, their eyes still the size of dinner-plates; a certain redhead grinned. "I hope she'll use that one against me in our next fight. Now that would be a challenge!" she exclaimed with gleaming eyes.

**  
**Nabiki shook her head in amusement. "Still the same old Saotome, eh?"

**  
**The redhead in question blushed a bit and grinned while she watched how one Ryoko sliced at her father while the other floated next to him, taunting him. "Now who's weak, eh? Ya still gonna say that girls are weak even though this girl is whopping yer ass?"

**  
**Genma's only answer was a yelp of pain as an energy-blast hit him in the butt, setting his pants on fire. Nodoka shook her head at her husbands' antics. "I hope he will learn yet that his concept of female inferiority is baseless. It would be much better for his health." she said with mirth.

**  
**Her daughter, who was standing right next to her nodded. "Yeah. One would think he'd learned by now, wouldn't one?"

**  
**The Tendo patriarch sighed. "It was always hard for my old friend to accept new truths. But I'd say that he's on a good way. Alas, if only he'd lose his fear of the master… it would be so much easier then."

**  
**Tenchi grinned as he watched Ranma's father. "Ryoko should really let him jump into the pond. That's gotta hurt." he said with mirth.

**  
**The cyan-haired alien had heard the comment due to her sensitive hearing and smirked at him. With a mischievous grin she fired another energy blast at Genma and this one blasted him straight into the koi-pond, extinguishing the fire.

**  
**A charred panda treaded water, a very relieved expression on his face. Ryoko integrated the double back into her body and floated above him. "I hope that taught ya. Females ain't weak and if ya ever insult women again I'm not gonna be as forgiving. Got me?"

**  
**The panda could only nod seeing as the alternative was bound to bring more pain. Maybe he should really rethink his opinion of women. It was starting to get detrimental for his health; and besides, a good martial artist knew when to cut his losses. While the panda climbed out of the pond and shook out his fur Ryoko floated over to where the others were standing while Genma-panda trotted behind, grumbling.

**  
**Soun produced a kettle with hot water from somewhere and returned his old friend to normal. Ryoko walked over to the two older men and looked Genma dead in the eye. "Ranma is anything but a disgrace. She fought against odds that would have had the likes of ya running for the hills. Red here battled something so terribly strong that it could have killed twenty of ya with ease. That Kasumi was hurt is not her fault and it does not make Ranma a weak girl. If anything she is a strong and brave warrior, and it was an honour to fight alongside her. Is that clear now?"

**  
**"Hear, hear!" exclaimed both Tenchi and Ayeka.

**  
**Genma on his part sweated outwardly in face of the power and abilities this Ryoko had demonstrated, but inwardly he sighed. It had been hard on him to throw these accusations at his son but he had been convinced that he'd be able to make the boy see the error of his ways. He, Ranma, was a man, his heir, and no girl. Now it seemed as if he had alienated his child in vain, seeing as this spiky-haired woman had countered his words so easily. For now he had to give in, considering the power-level of this girl, but he'd try again later. "Yes." Genma finally said and bowed his head.

**  
**Ranma smirked at the cyan-haired alien, her smirk conveying the message 'well done'. Ryoko inclined her head and touched down beside Tenchi as soon as she was finished with Genma. That had been fun and practically screamed for a repetition. She looked at the first crown princess of Jurai and the other woman nodded. On an unspoken consent the group went back into the house with a discontented Genma trotting behind them. Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko threw him glances.

**  
**They did not know overly much about Genma except from what Ranma had told them but her stories seemed to understate the stupidity of her father. Had the idiot no compassion for his daughter? Or at least some sense of tact? Hadn't he seen that Ranma would have needed his support instead of insults? What a stupid woman-hater! And why had he kept on calling Ranma 'boy'? It was obvious by far that Ranma was a girl!

**  
**Yes, now it made a lot of sense why Ranma and her chosen one had decided to spend some time away from this house. If something like this was normal around here…

**  
**Soun, being the host led the group into the living room and motioned for everyone to sit down. Ranma, Nabiki, Nodoka and Soun took their usual spots while Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko remained standing. "Now that that is cleared I'd say that introductions are in order." Tenchi said as he stepped forward. "Hello, my name is Tenchi Masaki. And the next time you attack someone verbally or physically make sure to know all the facts, okay?" he said to Soun.

**  
**The owner of the Tendo Dojo nodded crestfallen and looked at Ranma. "Ranma… I'm sorry for flying off the handle. I'm trying to overcome my old ways but from time to time I fall back into them. Forgive an old fool for his mistakes."

**  
**As well Ranma as Nodoka smiled; Ranma on her part had been startled by what Soun had accused her of but Nodoka had been furious and had planned to give Soun a good piece of her mind. However both Saotome women were reconciled now.

**  
**It took a lot of character to admit ones faults and Soun had done so in a very convincing way. "Its okay, Mr. Tendo. I can't fault you as I blamed myself too. I still do to some extent. But he did what he thought he had to do. You know, he's a real hero." she said somewhat dreamily and a lot of meaning was transported in this simple sentence. "Besides, I don't see an old man here. Just someone who has listened to his perverted master and my father for too long." she stated.

**  
**Soun was surprised at that last statement and it nearly distracted him from the lingering suspicion he had; but he had grown cautious enough not to ask her here and now if what he thought was true. With Genma around it would not be safe and he had promised that he would not pressurise any of the children. "Thank you, Ranma. But who are your other friends?"

**  
**Ranma blushed. "You're welcome, Mr. Tendo. This," she pointed at Ryoko, "is Ryoko. We started off the wrong foot in the beginning but now we're getting along much better." she said while Ryoko smirked and waved.

**  
**"Seems to be a pattern for you, Ranma." said Nabiki.

**  
**Ranma blushed and Nodoka looked at Ryoko. "What does my daughter mean by this, Ryoko? It is okay that I call you Ryoko, isn't it?"

**  
**The ex-space pirate nodded. "We got inta a fight 'cause I thought that she was there ta steal Tenchi away from me. It was not until later that I realised that she didn't wanta… ya know, I gotta horrible past for which most people would reject me, Mrs. Saotome. Your daughter did not and I'm thankful for it. If this baka over there is tryin' ta hurt her any more I'll really hafta hurt _him_. Badly. Ranma is a warrior, and warriors stand together."

**  
**Ayeka nodded. "The same goes for me. Not the part with the horrible past, mind you, but I agree with Ryoko. Should your husband try to hurt Ranma in any form _he_ will be hurt. By the way, I'm Ayeka Jurai, half-sister of Katsuhito."

**  
**The two women exchanged bows and Ranma smiled despite her blush. "See what ya two did? Ya made me blush." she exclaimed.

**  
**Genma could not stop himself.**  
**"Stop acting like a weak girl, boy! I raised you to be a man among men, my son, someone to make the Saotome line proud, and not some girl!" he exclaimed only to be bashed over the head.

**  
**Soon Genma had swirls for eyes and was seeing stars. Yes, it really seemed as if Genma Saotome had a very hard time in overcoming the deeply ingrained conviction that women were inferior. Little did the others know that he did what he did because he was convinced that his son should not be living as a girl if he could try to stay a man as much as possible. Him being both sides of the coin as Nodoka had dubbed it was ridiculous in his opinion. Besides, he just had no idea how to deal with a teenage girl. He wanted his son back!

**  
**Ignorant of this Ranma needed to vent some steam. Slowly and deliberately she walked over to him until she was standing in front of her somewhat dazed father. "If ya didn't notice, I _am_ a girl right now. And will be fulltime for the next three months. But I'm sure as hell not weak, stupid pops!" she yelled into his ears, effectively giving him one hell of an ear-ache.

**  
**Tenchi agreed too. "Ranma was my best childhood-friend and Ranma-chan is one of my best friends. Whoever wants to hurt her has to run through me. And just so that anyone has an idea with what he would be dealing with," he said and looked pointedly at the panda who was slowly regaining his wits, "I collapsed a black hole without even trying."

**  
**Nabiki was the fastest to regain her wits, as usual. "You can't… can't mean the stellar phenomenon, can you?"

**  
**Tenchi nodded while Ayeka slapped her forehead. "Lord Tenchi, why did you tell them? They're not to know!"

**  
**The grandson of Katsuhito disagreed. "Ranma's mother is to know. And if he," he pointed at Genma, "spills the beans to anyone no amount of money would be able to hide him." he said and let his Juraian powers come to the fore.

**  
**Genma was hard pressed not to execute the crouch of the wild tiger there and then. He'd only ever felt that much power around the master or Ranma lately and knew without a doubt that this young man would make his words come true in an instant if he fouled up. Not that he planned to, anyway. "I… understand."

**  
**Ranma grinned. "Now that would be a first." she exclaimed and voiced the opinion of many. Inwardly she was sad that her father, a man who was a good and strong martial artist in his own right was so easily cowed by people with power.

**  
**It was really sad how the training under Happosai had made her father into a woman-hating coward. One look at her mother showed her that she shared her opinion. Yet another look and a nod created an understanding that they would try their utmost to exorcise those teachings out of him for good. Even if it would be painful… for him.

**  
**Meanwhile Ryoko stepped in front of the panda to bring home some points. "If ya ever call Ranma here weak again or belittle women I'm gonna know." she said and created her energy-sword. "Red here has more courage than ya ever gonna have. And I'm proud that I fought alongside her. Ya wouldn't believe how much I'd like ta skin yer alive fer the stunts ya pulled with Red but fer some strange reason Red seems ta love ya. So do yer best that it stays this way…" she trailed off suggestively.

**  
**Genma on his part just did not understand what in the world he had done wrong. And why was it that sword-wielding women were always on his case? His survival skills kicked in and told him that he should better give in; they had been blunted by disuse but right now his hostility-o-metre was practically screaming at him. So if he did not want to end up as a panda-fur rug he'd better start acting convincingly.

**  
**What he said then was one of the hardest things ever but for the sake of his survival and continued good health he had to do. There simply were too many angry females with swords here for his taste here. And the power-level of that cyan-haired woman was nothing to laugh at. "I'm sorry, bo… girl. But it's master Happosais fault! He has corrupted me!"

**  
**Soun slapped his forehead. "Genma, how could you call the master by his name? Have you forgotten what doing so means?"

**  
**As Genma seemed to realise just that something that seemed to be a two foot tall ball-lightning burst into the Tendo living room, carrying a sack full of female unmentionables. "Has anyone called my name? Oooohhh! Sweeto!" a certain old perverted martial arts grandmaster exclaimed as he noticed the wealth of very attractive females right away.

**  
**Ranma slapped her forehead. "Happosai. Great! Just what we needed!" she said and was half-tempted to throw her hands up in despair. Why could she never get a break? Massaging her temples she tried to ward of the incoming headache, and her testiness went up several notches.

**  
**Tenchi and the girls on their parts were taken aback. What in Tsunamis name was that creature? Could that be the perverted grandmaster Ranma had mentioned?

**  
**As soon as said perverted grandmaster by the name of Happosai laid eyes on Ranma and the other gorgeous females he had the feeling as if he had died and had entered paradise. To be in the presence of so much beauty… "Hey Ranma-chan! Long time no see! My how you have grown! Come and give an old man what he needs, Ranma-chan!" he exclaimed and bolted forward, his sack full of undergarments forgotten.

**  
**However Ranma blocked him with ease and kicked him against the far wall with a snarl that once again sounded too female for Genma's ears. The blow did not faze the old lecher as he ricocheted from the wall and came now straight at Ryoko. The ex-space pirate was too dumbfounded to do anything and thus the perverted grandmaster had a walk over. Before Ryoko could blink Happosai was nestled in her bosom and began fondling her ample talents. "Mmmmh… not as big as Ranma-chans but they'll do!"

**  
**That shook Ryoko out of her stupor and her temper surged with the force of a nuclear explosion. "YOU!" she shrieked in righteous female outrage and lunged for the tiny pervert who bounced away from her breasts; however the old lecher was not the grandmaster of Anything Goes for nothing and evaded her lunge with ease.

**  
**The energy he had gotten through the fondling allowed him to add even more speed to his movements and the others watched while Ryoko used her energy-sword to slash at the bouncing pervert. But seeing that her speed could not compare to that of Happosai the old master grew quickly tired of that and aimed for a new target.

**  
**And once more sooner than (nearly) anyone could blink Happosai was nestled between Ayeka's breasts and gave them a good feel-over. "Hmm, not as big but certainly very round and firm! Yes, give an old man what he needs!"

**  
**This time Ayeka cried out in indignation and Ryoko did not even think to laugh at her rivals' plight. What that creature had done to her and now to Ayeka was an outrage! Ranma on her part had stood there and watched how her students were handling the situation. It looked indeed as if they'd have to go a long way regarding speed.

**  
**She continued to watch as Ayeka chased the old lech through the hallway but as expected Happosai stayed miles ahead of her and was laughing the whole time. "HOW DARE YOU MOLEST THE FIRST CROWN PRINCESS OF JURAI! DIE!" Ayeka yelled and fired an energy blast at Happosai.

**  
**The old grandmaster looked at it with interest, sidestepped effortlessly and watched how the blast scorched the wall. Nodoka stepped forward with her katana drawn. "Master Happosai that will be enough. These ladies are guests of my daughter and are to be treated with respect." she said in a commanding tone of voice.

**  
**And it nearly worked but when Happosai looked at Ayeka his eyes gleamed. "But I never fondled a princess before! Sweeto!" he cried out and jumped at her once more, this time intent on liberating the silky darlings she was surely wearing.

**  
**Ayeka was seething mad and readied another energy blast when Ranma decided to intervene. She gave Tenchi, who had wanted to join in a shake of her head. Both Ayeka and Ryoko caught this too and both women were feeling warm all over at the thought that Tenchi had wanted to defend or rather re-establish their honour.

**  
**Suddenly Ranma just seemed to reappear in front of Ayeka and the nearing Happosai was too slow to react. Her right hook caught him full force and sent him through the roof. Ranma looked sheepishly at Nabiki. "Sorry 'bout that."

**  
**Nabiki waved it away. "I'll put it on his tab, Red." she said with a smirk.

**  
**Ranma nodded and walked to the outside, well knowing that the fight was not over. But it seemed as if someone else had adapted her nick. **'Hmm,'** she thought with a smirk, **'two can play this game.' **"You do that, Nabs. Now I'm gonna take care of the old lech. He's probably gonna be fuming mad."

**  
**To say that the middle Tendo daughter was surprised at that retort would have been an understatement. It really seemed as if Ranma, no, Ranma had indeed made some progress in the weeks she had been away. "Sure." was the only thing she managed to reply.

**  
**Needless to say that everyone followed Ranma to the outside. As expected, Happosai was already waiting for her and he had a welcome surprise. "Happo Daikarin!" he yelled and threw four of his Burning Fire Blasts at Ranma.

**  
**Ranma countered lightning fast and batted all four Daikarin back at their originator. "Oops!" was all Happosai could exclaim before they went off in his face.

**  
**However that was by far not enough to take Happosai out and Ranma knew that. Moments later a slightly charred Happosai flared his battle-aura and Genma cowered in the corner. Soun on his part was inwardly terrified too but he would not cower before the master any longer and stood his ground.

**  
**Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko on their parts watched with anticipation. From Ranma's narration they knew that this was the perverted Grandmaster of the style Ranma had learned in and it would be interesting to see how this fight would go.

**  
**Nodoka and Nabiki were both hoping that the redhead would give the old pervert a good dressing down so that Genma would finally see that women were not weak. If she beat Happosai how could Genma claim that Ranma was weak?

**  
**The redheaded Saotome girl on her part grinned at the old pervert. "So ya wanna play rough, eh, old lech? _Good_." she said and raised her own battle-aura. Gradually she let her new powers come to the fore and they intermixed with her ki once more; once her battle-aura was fully raised it melted the underground again.

**  
**Nabiki on her part just shrugged. That was nothing a good gardener would not be able to remedy and for the facial expression the old lech wore right now she had to admit that it was all worthwhile. Acting fast she pulled her camera out of her stuffspace and began snapping away.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Happosai on his part was very much surprised at the power Ranma-chan exuded. It was quite a lot more than he remembered and might probably be enough for the redhead to achieve a decisive victory over him. Before their fights had never had a real winner as he had never gone all out but it seemed as if he had to do so now. Something had changed in Ranma-chan but he could not lay a finger on it. Anyway, now it was time to rumble!

**  
**Faster than he thought the redhead could follow he shot forwards. The ki-energy he had absorbed from the two pretty ladies came in handy now as it had strengthened him considerably. However imagine Happosai's surprise as Ranma's right arm suddenly shot forward and her fist connected painfully with his tiny face.

**  
**The old pervert was sent flying and left a deep indention in the wall that surrounded the Tendo compound. Moments later the old man got out of the man-shaped indention and a hard glint appeared in his eyes. From then on the battle was joined in earnest and attacks were traded back and forth at a level that most human beings would consider super-human. Everything the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu had to offer was employed and taken to heights thusly never seen before.

**  
**Happosai tried to distract Ranma with a ki-powered punch to her right side that should serve to distract her so that he could use some pressure points to mould the battle in his favour. Yet Ranma surprised him once more as she blocked that attempt with ease. That was the moment when Happosai realised that Ranma was at least his equal regarding speed. He had to admit that he was impressed; Ranma had always been very talented but it seemed that she had now gained the power to match up to his skills. But he still had some aces up his sleeve and several centuries of experience playing for him.

**  
**The old master lashed out without warning and the redhead was not prepared to block the follow-up attack that followed that feint-attack and the pipe the old grandmaster used on her at short range blasted her into the wall. Compared to what the Android had done to her it was nothing but it served to make her angry. Peeling herself out of the wall she flared her fiery aura, fire blazing in her eyes, her hair weaving in an unseen breeze.

**  
**"Damn! Now Red looks really pissed off!" Ryoko stated.

**  
**"No shit, Sherlock." Nabiki said and the cyan-haired woman surveyed her for a moment before shrugging and concentrating on the battle.

**  
**Ranma scolded herself for a brief moment for having let her guard down and vowed that such a thing would not happen again. All that power she wielded now was making her too confident and the hit Happosai had scored reminded her that power was no guarantee for victory. Only constant vigilance added to power could achieve that.

**  
**Grinding her teeth so hard that she could have crushed diamonds the redhead tensed her muscles and suddenly shot forward. Due to the fiery aura that surrounded her she looked like a fiery streak and soon the tiny pervert needed all of his power and experience to block the blows that kept coming in mercilessly.

**  
**Using his Happo-Daikarin to create a diversion the old man leapt back several feet. He knew that using his pipe again was out of the question as Ranma-chan would expect this of him. Hmm, it seemed as if he'd have to dig into his bag of tricks. Now it was time to demonstrate why he was the grandmaster and Ranma a pupil.

**  
**Making sure that he would not endanger the others he readied his next move. He might have been a man with a somewhat unusual hobby and lose morals but that did not mean that he would voluntarily hurt bystanders. Little did the old lech know that as well Tenchi as Ayeka could have blocked just about anything he could dish out with their shields.

**  
**Ranma was now waiting for the next move of her 'master' but she was not really prepared for what he did next. Happosai demonstrated impressively that _he_ had obviously been the one to have originated the vacuum blades for from one moment to the next at least three dozen of those were on their way to Ranma.

**  
**Happosai had gauged the energy of the blades thusly so that they would not kill Ranma. After all, killing such a cute girl with such an ample bosom would be too great a loss. And besides once he had cowed her sufficiently she'd finally be able to become his heir and he'd mould her as he wanted her to be. "Now bow to the greater experience and wisdom of your master, Ranma-chan and I might make you my true heir. After some extensive show of your respect for your master, of course. I have just the set of panties and bra in mind…" he said dreamily and pulled a set of lacy and skimpy black panties and bra out of nowhere.

**  
**The redhead however had enough from playing by the rules of others; she was fed up that others thought they could plan out her life for her and steer it like they wanted. This was _her_ life and she had finally begun to take control over it. No old pervert would make her bow to his wishes! And for _him_ she'd never wear sexy underwear! "Ya ain't my master! And I ain't never gonna bow ta ya!" she exclaimed and began dodging and weaving around the blades at a speed that even Happosai would not have been able to match.

**  
**Fact that did not go unnoticed by the old perverted master. Soun on his part watched with pride how the son-turned-daughter of his old friend Genma thwarted one of the most dreaded attacks of the master. His version of the vacuum blades, the original one from which Genma had derived his version was much stronger and faster than that of his old friend; yet Ranma, no Ranma, dodged these blades as if they were flying in slow-motion.

**  
**The old pervert had noticed that too and just began to ready another bout of even stronger and faster vacuum blades when he suddenly felt the impact of a fist in his face. The next thing the others saw was a battered old man who had been deeply indented into the wall surrounding the Tendo compound once more. "Ouch!" was his comment as he extracted himself from the wall.

**  
**Nodoka's eyes gleamed as she saw what her daughter was capable of. She was so strong and honourable! Oh what a great bunch of grandchildren she would give her! Nabiki on her part noticed that Nodoka was spacing off into regions unknown and she did the only thing that brought Nodoka out of it any time: a good jolt.

**  
**As usual Nodoka returned to reality instantly and just accurately timed to see the old lech shoot forward straight at her daughter. Instantly blows were traded between the two but with two Flaming Orbs fired in quick succession and at point blank to boot Ranma soon got the upper hand over the surprised master.

**  
**Happosai had used up a lot of energy to shield himself from the enhanced ki-blasts and that had left him with severely depleted ki-reserves as he had just underestimated the sheer strength of the energy blasts. The old pervert had mistakenly believed that the energy blasts would not be much stronger than the standard Moko Takabisha but he had been dead wrong how he had found out to late. He had found out just how much Ranma's powers had grown but he had paid a high price for it.

**  
**Now he was just about defenceless and he was unable to block yet another blow that sent him yet again into the wall, barely conscious. Ayeka and Ryoko grinned at each other how Ranma had managed to re-establish their honour and everyone else was proud of Ranma and voiced it; even Genma was among them and the bald martial artist was inwardly nearly ecstatic that his _son_ could hold his own against the master.

**  
**Tears of joy nearly threatened to escape him at the thought that their plight under the masters' reign of terror might finally be over. All that had to be done was to convince his child to fight the master in a challenge fight and everything would be better than ever before; considering Ranma's prowess a victory was nearly assured! And all that had to be done to reach this goal was to convince his son to _stay_ his son as much as possible. And that would require some careful scheming.

**  
**The eventual target of said scheming was quite satisfied with herself but that satisfaction only lasted for a few moments as yet another nuisance landed within the perimeter of the Tendo compound. Ranma could only shake her head in resignation. Why were the Kami getting their kicks out of complicating her life?

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	28. Taro tries again

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 28: Taro tries again**

**  
**The newcomer turned out to be none other than Pantyhose Taro. The cursed Chinese youth was trying yet again to force Happosai to change his name. With a taunting smirk he surveyed Ranma. "Ahh, femboy. Back to being your true self, I see. Seeing as you let your hair down and everything." he teased.

**  
**Ranma suppressed the urge to return a verbal jibe, giving Taro just a disapproving glare. "What do you want, Taro?"

**  
**If Taro was irritated that Ranma had not reacted to his verbal jibe he did not show it. "The usual. I want my name changed. So where is the sick old man? I lost track of the old idiot some blocks ago."

**  
**Said sick old man was just peeling himself out of the wall once more. "Taro my boy! If you teach Ranma-chan here a lesson I _will_ change your name!" he exclaimed.

**  
**"WHAT!" not only Taro exclaimed.

**  
**"Yes, yes," the old master exclaimed, "she needs to learn to respect her master. If you beat her I will change your name. This is a test of your worthiness, so don't disappoint me."

**  
**Taros' eyes gleamed while Ranma seethed. It was just like the old lech to play foul when he was beaten. "Can't fight your own battles, old lech? And you call yourself a grandmaster!"

**  
**Happosai just shrugged. "In love and war all is fair and square, Ranma-chan. There is nothing dishonourable when a pillar of the community asks a younger fighter to represent him. Rather that is an honour for this younger fighter! So Pa…, ahem, Taro, my boy, show her what you're capable off!" the tiny old man exclaimed.

**  
**Ranma snorted while Taro grinned. "Phew, pillar of the community… my ass!" the redhead exclaimed.

**  
**Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko or their parts wondered if life in Nerima was usually this crazy or if they'd just arrived on a bad day. Actually they'd only wanted to pick up Ranma's mother and Mr. Tendo but what was happening here really defied reality. Not even _their_ lives were that crazy! It was absolutely no wonder that Ranma had been more than happy to get at least somewhat of a break even if it had not been her own idea.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Taro on his part was ecstatic. Finally he had the chance to get a new name within his grasp and all that he'd have to do was to beat the snot out of the annoying femboy! That was practically like hitting two birds with one stone! There was no love lost between him and femboy and he'd love to teach him, her, whatever a lesson. "Okay, old lech. I will do it. But go back on your word and I'll nail your hide to the wall!" he exclaimed and jumped into the koi-pond before anyone could stop him.

**  
**What rose from the koi-pond moments later startled Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka quite a lot. Granted, they had seen the news-reports on the huge flying monster but to see it up close and to learn that it was in reality a young man with a curse was something else.

**  
**Ryoko wanted to give in to her impulse to go at it with her energy sword but Ranma shook her head making clear that this was her fight. Acknowledging this with a nod Ryoko limited herself to watch; as did Tenchi and Ayeka who had watched the exchange.

**  
**Nodoka on her part was angry at Happosai that he siced someone like that on her daughter when she had defeated him in an honourable way. Her daughter had been right indeed; this was not how a pillar of the community behaved but actually the perverted master of her husband had never been that. It seemed as if her Genma was not the only one who was in dire need of reeducation here. But first things first; now she'd watch how her daughter would fare against something that could be considering a monster from the legends, praying that she would emerge on top.

**  
**Pantyhose Taro on his part did not waste much time and attacked Ranma immediately. His tentacles lurched forward in an attempt to entrap Ranma but the Saotome girl had become way too fast for that to work and evaded them with ease. The massive beast growled and tried to punch Ranma but again she evaded the attack and the giant fist only hit the ground, spraying the observers with dirt.

**  
**Ranma realised fast that she'd need more space to knock Taro out and she knew that she had no other choice _but_ to knock him out. Talking him out of it was impossible now that he was convinced that Happosai would change his name in case he did what the old lech wanted. How could anyone be so stupid as to believe the old pervert?

**  
**But then again, Taro was just too obsessed with his quest to have Happosai change his name and it seemed as if he was willing to do just about everything for it. Apparently he'd also forgotten that Happosai was hardly known to ever keep his word. And honestly she could not really fault Taro; his name _was_ more of a curse for him than his Jusenkyo curse and once she had downed him she'd help him to force Happosai to do what he had promised. Even if Happosai's' promise would be invalid with Taro defeated.

**  
**But she _had_ to defeat Taro first and she needed space for it. Leaping onto the wall and from there onto the roof of the Tendo home she hopped over the rooftops, a growling Taro hot on her heels. Ranma's destination was the empty lot near Furinkan high; a place were a lot of her battles had taken place and at the same time a place that offered the space she'd need. There she could go all out without the danger of Taro inadvertedly injuring or killing anyone, especially her mother.

**  
**Nodoka was much like her in many regards. Like her she was fearless and never backed down from just about anything; she would not have put it past her to attack Taro with her katana but as she had no idea if her mom would be a match for the monstrous cursed form of Taro she'd bring him down herself. She'd never forgive herself if her mother got harmed.

**  
**With half of her advertence she noticed that some of the others were following her too; but if she sensed it right only Ryoko was following her which was somewhat odd. Sure, she was the only one capable of flight out of the group but wouldn't Tenchi and Ayeka be able to follow too? Odd.

**  
**But at the moment she had no time to think about it as she had to evade the lunges Taro made for her; it was easy but at the same time she tried to keep the property damage down as much as possible. The people of Nerima might be used to their fighting but that did not mean that they had a card blanche for destroying things.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Finally she arrived at the empty lot with the flying cursed form of Taro still hot on her heels. As she dodged yet another attempt to entrap her in his tentacles she noticed that Ryoko had arrived at the scene too. But the cyan-haired alien just winked briefly at her, gave her the thumbs-up and teleported out of the area; much to Ranma's surprise. Not that she would have needed the support of Ranma in this fight but some encouraging watchers would have been nice.

**  
**Be it as it is Ranma had just decided to reveal her true powers when she suddenly registered newcomers. It were however none of her family or friends; not in the pokier sense anyway. The newcomers were none other than three certain Amazons. Elder Cologne must have sensed their power-levels and once she had steered for this lot the Elder must have known that something was up.

**  
**Not letting herself be distracted by that she evaded a strong kick by the monster and executed a somersault. But what happened next served to distract her and it cost her; for suddenly Ryoko teleported back in and she had someone in two. With her were Nabiki, her mother, Soun and her father. Then Ryoko teleported out once more.

**  
**Ranma had been momentarily distracted by that and Taro managed to blind her with his ink-attack. Thusly he managed to land a strong blow that sent her flying. The redhead landed in an undignified heap several hundred yards away. She could just feel the disapproving shake of the head of a certain Elder and she chided herself way harder for having let her guard down once more today.

**  
**With a snarl she got to her feet, wiped away the ink and some blood and powered up. The time of holding back was over and it was time to show Taro what he was truly up against; against the old lech she had held back but she knew with certainty that Taro's cursed form could take a lot of punishment. Besides she had been feeling irked all day for some reason and he was now the perfect scapegoat. Now she was about to deal out a lot of punishment and when she was finished powering up she just disappeared.

**  
**Taro looked around wildly, unsure of what had happened. Ever since when had femboy gotten so fast and powerful? Regardless, he was still the stronger fighter were the thoughts of Pantyhose Taro. However, when a certain redhead suddenly appeared in his face and well within his defences and landed and earth-shattering punch to said face that caused him to stagger back he began to ask himself if it had been a good idea to piss her off. Maybe it was this time of the month for femboy?

**  
**With a speed that belittled his mass Taro straightened himself again and used his ability of flight to cover the distance that was separating them. Ranma felt that Ryoko had reappeared with Ayeka and Tenchi and she also noticed that the old lech had followed them too.

**  
**This time she did not let herself get distracted by it and concentrated fully on the fight. As much as she could understand Taro it was high time that he understood that _she_ was not responsible for his problems. The usual blame Ranma Saotome thing was getting old rapidly and she would not put up with it any longer. The times were she had allowed others to walk over her were over. Ultimately.

**  
**Countering a punch-kick-tentacle-attack-combo by just phasing out of sight she nearly instantly reappeared behind Taro and her kick to the back of the head sent the cursed young man actually flying despite his mass.

**  
**-.-

**  
**At the side-lines a certain Yaazuniichuan cursed Amazon whistled. He had had corrective surgery on his eyes recently which had restored ninety percent of his eyesight and thus he saw the fight clearly. "Wow, since when is Saotome so strong?" he asked more to himself.

**  
**A certain Amazon Elder bopped him on the head with her staff out of general principles. "Had you had your glasses where they belonged at the right time, Mousse, you would have noticed it a long time ago. It was no unthinking act to release her from the outsider rules; she could have brought the whole tribe down easily with the power she possesses should we have dragged her to China. Do you see that now, younglings?"

**  
**Both Mousse and Shampoo nodded. To try to force someone with that kind of power to do as you wished was as ridiculous as asking the wind not to blow. It really seemed that their Elder had been wise in her actions. **'Damn, considering what for a kind of power I battled when I fought Saotome in my quest for Shampoo's love it is a miracle that I'm still alive! She could have toasted me easily!'** he thought.

**  
**That Ranma had not done just that proved to him that he'd have to reevaluate his opinions of the Saotome youth. It only dawned on him now that if Ranma was able to kill the Phoenix King by destroying his body, something that had been thought to be impossible, she'd be able to beat _him_ easily. And yet he had been too far gone in his delusions to accept this and had carried on with his truly blind attacks.

**  
**It was just like Akane had said. He had been blind but now and not only due to the corrective surgery was he able to see things clearly. It was now dawning on him what for a kind of power he had been fighting in his quest to win Shampoo's love; it was really relieving to know that this kind of power was wielded by a person which such a high moral integrity.

**  
**Hmm, maybe it was not too late to form a friendship with Ranma, now that he, Mu-Tzu, had come back to reality. Aside from being a more than accomplished fighter she was also honourable beyond a doubt and always tried to keep her word. That Genma Saotome had caused so many problems in her life for which she was not to blame was not really Ranma's fault. Yes, once he'd have the chance he'd try to change his relationship with the Saotome youth.

**  
**Shampoo on her part was sad and happy on equal parts. Sad because she'd seemingly lost any chance to be Ranma's mate and happy because she had the chance to see him again. And in a glorious battle to boot. In the meantime she'd mostly come to terms with what her great-grandmother had done.

**  
**In the beginning after realisation had settled in she had nearly hated her great-grandmother; when all had been revealed to her she had been too stunned to object much. Furthermore she'd had to accept the decree of her great-grandmother. She as the Elder had the last word and it had been decided that her claims on Ranma were void. That had however not hindered her to throw several fits of rage once they'd been back at the Nekohanten.

**  
**Her great-grandmother had been patient with her and finally had made her see reason; or at least she, Xian-Pu had seemingly given in. In secret she was still weighing her choices; could she risk going against the wishes of the tribe and try to convince Ranma like she had tried to in the past and risk her own life? As far as she knew only Ukyo would be competition now that Akane had manoeuvred herself out of the field, thus it might be easier. Or could she be content with just being Ranma's shield sister?

**  
**She did not know as of yet. But she wanted to have a talk with Ranma as fast as possible to hear from him if it was really over. She'd never hear _him_ say it. Depending on his answer she'd plan her course of action; when Ranma had gone onto the training trip with the nice girl Kasumi (she still shuddered at the despicable fate she had suffered) she had hoped that her former airen had mainly left Nerima to realise his feelings.

**  
**And even if Ranma should confirm that he did not love her, she did not want him gone from her life. Deep down she knew that she would most probably not risk disobeying the councils' orders should Ranma really say that he did not love her; _she_ did love Ranma but she still did not know if _he_ loved her. And until she didn't have definite knowledge about Ranma's feelings she'd not risk getting locked or killed for pushing her case.

**  
**She had realised in the last months that using potions, spells and other artificial means to 'convince' Ranma would never lead to the result she wanted, a Ranma who loved her of his own. If he really held no love for her in the marriage sense she would have to accept that. Whining and bitching, but she'd accept it. And if being his shield sister meant that she'd be able to continue to take part in his life she'd probably do that and be the best shield sister she could be. Shaking herself out of her musings she continued to watch the fight.

**  
**-.-

**  
**To say that Happosai was surprised would have been the understatement of the decade. The perverted old grandmaster had noticed that Ranma-chan had gotten a great deal better but that she was capable of such feats… amazing! It really seemed as if she was _toying_ with Taro! Maybe it was really time he trained her for real…

**  
**Shaking his head he pulled out his pipe, lit it with a burst of ki and watched. Analyzing the fight he noticed that her greatest asset was her vastly improved speed. The redhead was able to move faster than even _he_ could see! That was confirmed once more when Ranma-chan ducked a punch aimed at her ribcage with astounding ease. The retaliation that followed in form of a lightning-fast roundhouse-kick to the head could only be described as brutal. Yes, it seemed indeed that Ranma-chan had also gotten a lot stronger and was not holding back any more.

**  
**The grandmaster of the Anything Goes watched fascinated as Ranma-chan seemed to flow around the powerful blows of Pantyhose Taro with an effortlessness he had not witnessed in a long time. She used each and every flaw in his defences and only Taro's toughness had prevented him from going down up till now. The fight had lasted for ten minutes now but it was already clear who had the upper hand. Happosai had to admit that even he would be hard pressed to beat Ranma-chan, even if he went all out. That Ranma-chan had managed to beat him by surprise was more than conclusive proof for that.

**  
**He winced when Ranma landed a very fast and hard kick to the snout of Taro's cursed form and marvelled that Ranma was so unrelenting in her attacks; her follow-ups were clear and precise, and most of all fast. Something had to have happened while the boy had been away, and that something had had an impact on his fighting style. Ranma was now fighting more ruthless, he wasn't treating his fights as simple competitions any more. Whatever had happened, he'd have to learn exactly what had happened.

**  
**Happosai shook himself from his musings just in time to see how Ranma landed a powerful blow to the left cheek of Taro. Once more said cursed youth was sent flying not under his own power and for the umpteenth time this day he wondered what had changed about femboy. What had caused this ridiculous increase in power? And damn, he seemed to be more ruthless than ever before for that last punch had really hurt!

**  
**Well, time to see if he couldn't teach him a lesson with a combined attack. Bringing his flight under control he turned around sharply and released ink from both his hands at the same time. And at the same moment also his tentacles shot forward and actually managed to ensnare Ranma in mid-leap.

**  
**Taro gloated while especially Nodoka had a look of horror on her face; even Genma seemed to be worried and his elation about the prowess of his son-turned-daughter was gone like the wind. Happosai for his part looked completely unconcerned and was smoking his pipe. The cursed Chinese boy just readied himself to pile drive Ranma into the ground when the redhead suddenly ceased struggling.

**  
**The Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan cursed youth paused in his actions with a puzzled look on his bull-face. He'd expected femboy to fight and struggle till the end but instead he had an odd look on the face. Something akin to… pity? What was he up to now?

**  
**Ranma on her part looked him straight into the eye. "Sorry 'bout what I'm gonna do now. I wanted to avoid this but you leave me no choice. This is gonna hurt you more than me…" she said, twisting a well known saying.

**  
**Pantyhose Taro still puzzled over that when Ranma suddenly yelled. This yell indicated the beginning of another power-up and to free herself she flared her fiery battle-aura to its full extent. Unsurprisingly the heat she exuded was unbearably hot for Taro and due to the fact that the tentacles he had gained were appendages of a water-life form they did not take well to heat.

**  
**With a yell of pain Taro was forced to release Ranma and said girl leapt backwards with several somersaults immediately. She was now intent to end the fight before anyone could get hurt any further. Seeing that Taro was too busy with the pain he was in she had time to ready her attack.

**  
**Once more she cupped her hands to the side and began to gather her ki. "KA… NE… MO… KU… HAAA!" she yelled and the huge yellow beam exited her palms.

**  
**She had gauged the energy-level of the attack carefully and it would either render Taro unconscious or leave him barely conscious. At any rate he'd be unable to continue the fight. The redhead watched as her attack headed for Taro and when the cursed Chinese boy noticed the energy wave heading for him he reacted just like Ryoko had. His eyes widened and he looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a huge car.

**  
**Then the attack engulfed him and Taro had no chance to defend himself at all and his thoughts were **'Damn, what the hell is that?'**. The attack washed over him and carried him over the ground several yards before he came to a halt in a smouldering crater, groaning and with barely enough energy left to remain conscious.

**  
**To say that the others except Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko were baffled at the attack Ranma had executed would have been an understatement once more. Cologne on her part nodded to herself; so that was what she had felt some time ago, repeatedly. Most impressive. Happosai had a calculating look on his face that revealed nothing.

**  
**Mousse on his part reaffirmed his resolve to initiate a friendly relationship with Ranma; and Shampoo was proud that Ranma had defeated the fellow Chinese youth; she had never liked the arrogant young man. Nodoka was pride incarnate as she had watched her daughter battle something that could only be described as a monster from the legends.

**  
**However this monster was in reality a young man who had been faulted by Happosai; but as usual the blame had been shifted on her child. Her glare told a certain perverted grandmaster of the Anything Goes that anything would indeed go once she got a hold of him.

**  
**The old lech was just about to make a run for it to recover his energy when he suddenly ran into a funny shaped wall. Ryoko had seen what the old perv had been planning and had teleported in his way; and due to the fact that he had not been powered up the toughness of Ryoko had been enough to knock him out. With a satisfied smirk Ryoko picked the old pervert up by the scruff of his neck and teleported over to where the others were standing. He'd not escape his just punishment…

**  
**-.-

**  
**Meanwhile Ranma had walked over to check on Taro. As she scanned his aura she noticed that he was indeed barely conscious; that meant that she'd gauged the energy-level of her attack carefully enough. Regardless of that it had left her very much drained. But who cared now? She'd won; and for the first time this was a crystal clear victory against Taro.

**  
**Now the problem remained of changing Yak-boy back; but she'd just the right means to do so. As not much water was needed to change a cursed individual back she surmised that a bucket of water would be enough. Gauging from his aura Ranma mused that Taro would be out of it for several minutes which would give her enough time.

**  
**Using her Amaguriken speed she disappeared and reappeared in front of Ryoko. A smile graced her face. "Good job in catching the old perv. But could you do me a favour? I need ta change yak-boy over there back to his normal self. Therefore I need hot water. Could you get me some water out of the koi-pond? Preferably in a steel bucket."

**  
**Ryoko smirked and handed Happosai to the next best person who turned out to be Ayeka. "I gotta better idea, Red. I teleport us over to the Tendo place and ya go to the bathroom and do it yerself. How does that sound?"

**  
**The others laughed as Ranma grumbled. Finally the redhead nodded. "'Kay, demon woman. Let's do it."

**  
**A smirking Ryoko grabbed Ranma by the arm and teleported the two of them to the Tendo Dojo. Ranma then went to fetch a bucket with hot water and once they were done she teleported them back. As Ryoko had seen the place before she was able to teleport right in front of Taro.

**  
**Ranma smirked at her which meant so much as 'Thank you' and upended the water over Taro's cursed form. The two noticed that the others had joined them. Tenchi and Ayeka who had apparently hindered Happosai's return to consciousness as several lumps proved watched utterly fascinated how the huge monster suddenly shrunk and became a man. "Wow's" were exclaimed by the three visitors and the others could not fault them. Jusenkyo curses _were_ something mind-boggling, no doubt about that.

**  
**They watched as Taro slowly regained full consciousness and propped himself up on his arms. "Take it slowly, hotshot. And no more attacks on my daughter." said a Nodoka who had her katana drawn.

**  
**Her facial expression left Taro with no doubt that she would use it if he made one wrong move; her stance showed that she was more than skilled enough to make good on her threat, and besides, not much skill was needed to behead someone anyway. Inwardly he asked himself if taunting femboy for being called 'daughter' would qualify as 'wrong move', but he decided to better not risk it. However, Taro announced his dissatisfaction with the situation to the universe at large with a few well-chosen words spoken under his breath.

**  
**Femboy however surprised him. "It's okay, mom. I can understand him. He just wants to be rid of that stupid name Happosai cursed him with and he got so obsessed over it that he stopped caring what his quest did ta others. But it's really high time that he gotta choose his own name. Isn't it so, 'master' Happosai?" she asked with velvet-clad steel in her voice.

**  
**She'd known that the old lech had been faking unconsciousness so that he would be able to absorb some ki from Ayeka once the time was right but Ranma thwarted his plans. A tap on his shoulder was the only warning and when he turned around he saw that Ranma was standing behind him. He tried to look innocently but Ranma-chan just gave him a glare.

**  
**The next he knew was that he was lifted up by the scruff of his neck and his tiny arms were too short to touch Ranma-chans breasts which would have given him the much needed energy to escape. Apparently helpless he could do nothing but protest verbally as he was carried over to where Taro was lying.

**  
**Said Pantyhose Taro was quite surprised at the actions of someone he considered as an opponent. He thought back to the time when he had tried to douse the old perv with water from the Spring of Drowned Virtuous Man; sadly that water had turned out to be water from the Spring of Drowned Twin and if he'd actually managed to splash Happosai with it the world would have suffered under two Happosai's'. There and then femboy had tried to help him as well as during the whole Rouge-incident. He'd have to think about what that meant later. Right now his chance to change his name was in his grasp! Besides, thinking right now just hurt too much.

**  
**As Ranma held the pervert down on Taro's eye-level a manic glee filled his eyes. Finally he had the old perv right where he wanted him! That he had baptised him in the Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan Spring was not so bad as he had literally grown up with his cursed form; he liked the strength and toughness it offered and would never have sought out a cure. But the name he had been cursed with was a different matter entirely.

**  
**Tenchi on his part wanted to know the backgrounds and stepped forward. "Hello, I'm Tenchi." he said to Taro and the cursed young man surveyed the newcomer.

**  
**This Tenchi handled himself like a fighter and for today he'd had enough fights. "What do you want?" he asked bluntly, while getting up. Nodoka had stood aside on a nod from Ranma, but she was still ready to take action if it was needed.

**  
**"Well, I'd like to know why you attacked my friend Ranma here. It's clear that it has to do with this old man here," at this Happosai glared futilely, "but I'd like to know more." Tenchi elaborated.

**  
**Taro sighed. He really hated to tell this story as it always served to embarrass him so much. But the thought that it would all be over soon gave him the patience he needed to tell his tale. "To make a long story short, this sick old man over there baptised me in a cursed spring at Jusenkyo. But the Jusenkyo curse I received was not the worst. Not by far. The curse was and is the name that sicko gave me. He had the gall to name me Pantyhose Taro! I hate that stupid name!" he yelled and snatched Happosai out of Ranma's grip; then he proceeded to glare daggers at Happosai.

**  
**Tenchi sweatdropped, as did Ryoko and Ayeka. All three refrained from snickering or cracking jokes about it as it was obvious that it was a very sensitive matter for the young man. And fighting they had had enough for today. "I… see." Tenchi finally said. "But couldn't you just change your name on your own?"

**  
**The Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan cursed youth shook his head. "It is a tradition in my tribe that only the one who gave the name can change it. And sadly that was the sick old man over there." he yelled and pointed at Happosai who was still being held by Ranma; he blew a raspberry at Taro but a bop on the head courtesy of the cursed youth ended his antics quickly.

**  
**Ranma on her part smirked. "But now the tables have turned on ya, old lech. And if you don't give Taro the name he wants ta have I'm gonna show ya a world of hurt ya never visited before in your 300 years. Got me?" she asked with steel in her voice and eyes.

**  
**Happosai gulped. The way Ranma had said that left him with little doubt that she'd do exactly that if he did not comply. Was the practical joke he had played on Taro since his birth really worth risking his continued good health? Considering all things... yes! But as he was still tapping into his hidden reserves he had to bide his time.

**  
**And considering the fact that Ranma-chan had defeated Taro rather soundly put him in a tight spot. Taro was the only one who'd ever defeated him lately and now Ranma-chan had defeated them both within the day. It seemed as if he had no other choice but to play along for the moment. "Okay, okay. I will change his name. But hear my words, you'll regret this!" he exclaimed pompously.

**  
**Another bop to the head stopped his tirade rather efficiently. "Can it, old lech. Yesterday I destroyed something that could have wiped the floor with five of yer kind. I'm tired of those idle threats. Instead of fooling around ya should teach students how ta defend themselves! A martial artist has to defend the weak and that's why we teach them - so that they learn how ta defend themselves! Or have ya forgotten that, 'master'?"

**  
**That remark made Happosai rather thoughtful, as much as he hated to admit it, for it hit too close to home for comfort. Cologne on her part who had heard the whole conversation was rather proud of her sometimes-pupil. Not only had she managed to defeat Taro in his cursed form but she'd managed to make Happosai pause to think.

**  
**According to her knowledge that only ever happened twice in a century. Maybe his defences would crumble when she added her own opinion. "Ranma is right, Happi. Fooling around from time to time is acceptable but you have done nothing else ever since you escaped your incarceration. It is time that you faced up to your responsibilities as the grandmaster of an Art of war. I admit that I have made my share of mistakes with Ranma too but at least she learned from me. What happened to the accomplished teacher I came to know 200 years ago, Happi? I can't believe that you've forgotten how enjoyable it is to teach."

**  
**Her remark sent Happosai deeper into a bout of thoughtfulness. He'd really have to think about that… alone and preferably with a nice sack of skimpy underwear. Taro however was getting impatient. "Hellooo! I'd like to get my new name and then you can do whatever you want with the old sicko! I've got no time for silly tea-parties!"

**  
**Ranma nodded. As interesting at that had been, Taro was right. First things first. "Okay, Taro. Shoot!"

**  
**Taro grinned. That was the moment he had waited for his whole life. Finally, finally he'd be able to get rid of that curse of a name! The irony that someone who he thought of as an opponent had helped him was not lost on him but at the moment he did not care. "I want to be known by the name of Ultimate Taro!"

**  
**All present shared looks. That was just as bad as last time when he had wanted to be named Awesome Taro, but then again, _he_ would have to live with the name. Ranma gave Happosai a jolt and the perverted grandmaster sighed. Ranma reached into her stuffspace and extracted a bottle of water she always carried around with her. She had of course taken the precaution to fill it with boiling hot water at the Tendos in case anyone wanted to try anything stupid. This being Nerima that could never be ruled out.

**  
**To her satisfaction Ranma noticed that Nabiki was a competent as ever; she as a pro was videotaping the whole thing. With a grin she winked at the middle Tendo daughter who winked right back. Then she turned her attention back on the events before her nose and handed Happosai the bottle.

**  
**The old lech sighed once more. Then he opened the bottle... and sprayed Ranma with it! The water blinded her momentarily and the perverted master escaped Taro's grip effortlessly and blew a raspberry at him. His surprise at the fact that Ranma had not changed genders he overcame fast enough. After all, this was Ranma, and the unusual was usual in her case. "Heh heh heh, I'm never going to change your name, _Pantyhose_ Taro. Not till the day I die!" he exclaimed cackling.

**  
**Taro seethed and lunged at the old pervert who avoided the attacks laughing and taunting. Before anyone could have stopped him he cackled one last time and made himself invisible.

**  
**Ranma on her part was seething too. Here she had had the old lech where she'd wanted him and Taro let him escape. She shook her head and breathed deeply to clear her head and senses. Stretching them out she tried to feel the aura of the old lech; but as much as she tried she found no trace of him. It seemed that the perverted master had actually a cloaking technique at his disposal that was even better than her fathers' Umi-sen-ken. Sighing she looked at Cologne who shook her head too. Happosai was gone.

**  
**-.-

**  
**The exit of the diminutive pervert had surprised everyone. But in one case the surprise turned into anger quickly. "Femboy! How dare you let him escape! This is entirely your fault!" Taro bellowed.

**  
**Ranma on her part shook her head and tried to remain calm. Insulting the bull-headed idiot would achieve nothing. "And how is it _my_ fault when _you_ were the one holding him?" she countered with logic.

**  
**The Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan cursed youth steamed. "It's _always_ your fault! You should have stopped him! Now I'll be cursed with that stupid name for forever! DIE!" he exclaimed and lunged for her; or more specifically the half-filled bottle that was laying discarded on the ground. And due to the fact that it had remained open it might just have cooled down enough in the last minutes to allow Taro to change.

**  
**Ranma's eyes widened when she noticed what he'd planned. Against his cursed form she'd hardly stand a chance now that she'd used the best weapon in her arsenal in the previous fight; the Kanemoku-wave always left her ki-reserves so damn dry that it wasn't funny and she'd need some time and foremost food to recuperate. But she'd planned the outcome differently anyway. Sigh. It seemed Fate always had it in for her. Heck she wouldn't be surprised if her life was the main source of entertainment for a lot of Kami.

**  
**Using all of her ki that was left she tapped into her Amaguriken-speed and actually managed to kick the bottle away. Incidentally it landed right in front of Tenchi and his fiancées. The young man knew of the importance of the bottle for Taro, knelt down in a flash and emptied it of its contents while looking at Taro with a hard expression.

**  
**Taro stopped himself in mid-lunge and snarled at Tenchi as if about to attack. In response Tenchi used two of his Lighhawk wings to form his armour and sword and the air crackled with power; Ryoko formed her energy-blade and Ayeka let her Juraian powers come to the fore as well. It was an impressive show of power and brought home the point that Pantyhose Taro was completely outclassed.

**  
**With yet another snarl Taro whirled around and attacked Ranma who he thought to be weakened from their previous fight; weakened Ranma was indeed but not so much that she would not have been a match for the human form of Pantyhose Taro. How the Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan cursed youth had once stated, what did he need training for if he had the springs?

**  
**Right now that conviction held nothing good for him as he had absolutely no way to transform. But the furious state he was in obviously made him forget that he was just no match for Ranma in his normal form. Not since Ranma had improved so much while his skills has remained stagnant. His straight-forward kick which would have shattered very thick concrete had he been in his cursed form was blocked effortlessly and Taro was much too slow to block the counter that followed. Ranma's fist connected with his jaw in a classic uppercut that sent the offending bull-headed youth straight into LEO. His cry of "I'll be back!" slowly faded in the distance.

**  
**As Ranma had put quite a lot of her strength into that punch she had sent him quite far; probably right into the Adachi ward, if she was lucky. Soun, Nodoka and everyone else congratulated Ranma to her victories and even a certain sometimes panda muttered a "Not bad."

**  
**Ranma on her part accepted the congratulations, but inwardly she sighed. **'When will idiots like Taro finally get a clue and grow up?'** she thought with a sigh.

**  
**Tenchi patted his childhood-friend on the back. "Is life usually this crazy around here, Ranma?" he asked only half in jest.

**  
**The redhead looked at him with a grimace. "Would you believe me if I said that it was a good day?"

**  
**Needless to say that the three non-Nerimans had to rewind their jaws while Ranma smiled a lopsided grin. Nobody however saw the shadow that crept away unnoticed.

**to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found at my yahoo group. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

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	29. Closure

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. So suing is senseless.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
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**  
Chapter 29: Closure**

**  
**A little while later everyone aside from the Amazons had returned to the Tendo Dojo courtesy of Ryoko's teleportation. It would not have been that far to walk but teleporting was just so much faster. Soon Nodoka was busy preparing rice, Miso soup and everything else that belonged into a traditional meal and she was delighted when her daughter volunteered to help her.

**  
**That gave mother and daughter some valuable time to catch up on things. At first Ranma brought her mother up to date on what had happened and when she came to the part where the Android had attacked Nodoka put a hand to her mouth. Her daughter described everything in detail and she could see the emotions that played out on her daughter's face when she came to the part where Kasumi had thrown himself in front of her to protect her.

**  
**In former times she would have chided her child for being unmanly in showing emotions like that but now that she had accepted Ranma as her daughter she did what any caring mother would do. She pulled her in a tight embrace while the Miso soup stewed and didn't let go.

**  
**Ranma had already confessed in her mail that she loved Kasumi but to actually hear her say it and see and hear the feelings that were conveyed in this simple statement was something else entirely. Her child was deeply in love, that was for sure; and as she had said before, she was very glad for her child.

**  
**When Ranma described that Kasumi was healing at present and was expected to make a full recovery by next week already Nodoka was more than glad. She could vividly imagine the torrent of feelings her daughter had gone through when she'd thought that her love had been killed. Apparently that had also been the moment when the dam that had held her emotions back for years had broken down.

**  
**Nodoka noticed that her child was already able to express herself a lot more freely than ever before and she was happy about it. It seemed that some of the damage her husband and she herself had inflicted on their child was finally being repaired.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch had also instantly noticed the changes to her daughters' appearance upon her arrival but had understandably had no time to comment upon it up till now; now that she had Nodoka surveyed her with an appraising eye the situation was different.

**  
**Ranma still had a dream figure and her growth-spurt had only served to accentuate that fact. Oh yes, Kasumi was indeed very lucky; but Nodoka mused that her child felt the same vice versa. "It's nice to see that you're slowly growing into your assets, daughter." she said with a smile.

**  
**The younger redhead blushed. "Mooom!" she exclaimed only to smile sheepishly a few moments later. "Yeah it is really nice to have grown." she admitted. "Finally I don't look like some small child any more. Though some more inches would definitely be appreciated here…"

**  
**Nodoka smiled as she surveyed the figure of her daughter. "That will all come in due time, dear. And you're filling out quite nicely. However you should eat a bit more. You don't want to look too skinny for your boyfriend, do you?" she teased.

**  
**Ranma blushed once more. "Moooom!" she exclaimed indignantly. "Really!"

**  
**Her still primarily male self still had difficulties with accepting the reality that she was anyone's girlfriend and might even be doing _that_ with him some time in the future but she was coming to grips with it. Slowly. Apparently staying a girl and having a girls' thoughts, hormones and so on had made her a bit more accepting of the idea of being both. She knew she still had a way to go before accepting it fully but the first steps had been made; and the biggest change was that she was slowly beginning to feel at home in this body.

**  
**She admitted to herself that she had begun to stop caring which form she was in but that was primarily due to what had happened in the last 36 hours. She still had to find out if she had really accepted this body as part of herself or if it had all been a spur of the moment thing due to the traumatic fight with the Android.

**  
**Her mother on her part snickered. "Just teasing you, dear." she said with a playful smile. "But I really like your hair open like that. That pigtail never did your female form justice."

**  
**Ranma smiled back. "I knew that you were teasing me, mom. But I do take some pride in that body of mine." she said only half in jest. "And do you really think so? I had no chance to check how it looks… oh damn, I'm acting all girly again, ain't I?"

**  
**Her mother smiled. "Yes, dear, it looks nice. And remember, you are a girl right now and there's nothing wrong with you acting like one."

**  
**The younger redhead grumbled a bit over that but seemed to accept it. "So mom what happened here while we were away?"

**  
**Nodoka smiled launching herself into a description of the events that had transpired at the Tendo Dojo over the last weeks while mother and daughter continued to prepare the meal together.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Their idle chatter was shortly interrupted by Genma who had fetched a magical artefact (at least he thought it to be) from upstairs; both Ranma and Nodoka had been very irritated when Genma had started to chant and perform something that looked like a ritual dance while playing the supposedly magical flute.

**  
**Upon questioning on Nodoka's part he had stopped in whatever it was he was doing and had answered that it was a ritual to reinforce their son's masculinity by driving the growing femininity out of him. Nodoka and Ranma had stared at each other, then at Genma, and in a too calm voice Nodoka had said "Daughter, please give your idiotic father a trip into the pond. Maybe that will cool him down enough to re-establish his higher brain functions. So he has any, that is. Don't worry, I'll cover the costs for any repairs to the house."

**  
**Before Genma could utter a single word of protest a devilish smirking Ranma had rounded in on him and had punted him straight through the roof and into the koi-pond. Once that had been done Ranma had dusted herself off and had smiled at her mother. Then mother and daughter had returned to preparing the meal, a small smile on their faces. They'd manage to reeducate Genma yet.

**  
**After peace and quiet had been restored it did not take long for the meal to be completed and Nabiki, Ryoko and Ayeka helped to set the table when Nodoka announced that lunch would be ready in five minutes. The three guests had engaged themselves in a rather vivid conversation with Nabiki and Soun and all kinds of stories were exchanged; Genma, once more restored to human form had just listened from a safe distance. He was still brooding over the failed ritual dance.

**  
**Soon Nodoka and Ranma served the meal and once that was done everyone dug in with gusto. Nodoka and Ranma had also cooked a bit more so that there would be enough to eat at any rate. Ranma had joked that she was a growing girl whereupon Genma had growled.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Unsurprisingly Ranma ate the largest helpings at everything. She had used up a lot of energy in her fights and this energy had to be replenished. Watching Ranma dig in was a spectacle but not so much because of her manners; thanks to Kasumi those had improved vastly and were now more than tolerable. More than could be said about the eating habits of a certain part-time-panda, as the frown of Nodoka showed.

**  
**Having just finished another portion of rice Ranma looked at Soun Tendo. "Mr. Tendo, where's Akane? I haven't seen or felt a thing from her."

**  
**Soun nodded and gulped his rice down. "Akane is sleeping over at Yuka's place tonight. The girls had an extensive shopping trip planned to celebrate that Akane has made so much progress with getting her emotions under control."

**  
**Ranma nodded. If she was disappointed that she'd miss a chance to talk to Akane she did not show it. "I see. Well, how about we get finished up here and head over to the Masakis? I bet they're already worried about what's taking us so long. Okay, its nothing that a phone-call could not rectify but I wanna get back ta see how Kasumi is."

**  
**That statement however brought up some questions Nabiki had. "About that, mind telling me what has happened to my sister? Or brother?" she added as an afterthought.

**  
**The redhead shook her head. "No, I don't mind, Nabiki. But not here. How about the Dojo?"

**  
**Nabiki was somewhat nonplussed but nodded. Together the girls went to the Dojo and a certain Genma Saotome made moves to go after them. A certain sound however stopped him dead in his tracks. He knew the sound of Nodoka's katana being drawn all too well. Obediently he sat down again and helped himself to some rice.

**  
**While the others continued eating and chatting Ranma and Nabiki had retreated to the dojo. Being the observant young woman that she is Nabiki had of course noticed the growth spurt Ranma had undergone; the middle Tendo girl commended her on that and actually used words quite similar to those Nodoka had used.

**  
**After her blush had receded Ranma filled Nabiki in on what had happened over at the Masakis. Like with her mother she didn't leave a thing out in her narration and when she was finished she was surprised when Nabiki hugged her. "You really love her, don't you?"

**  
**Ranma nodded with barely suppressed emotions. "And him. When I'm with him I feel something I've never really felt with anyone else before. Contentment. When I'm with him I haven't got the urge to throw myself into dangerous situations, and I find myself looking forward to the future. I have never loved anyone so much before in my life, Nabs."

**  
**At hearing this Nabiki smiled. The other girl, and that was what Ranma was at the moment, had got it bad; and she was really happy for her sister-turned-brother and Ranma. Said redhead continued in her happy monologue. "Kasumi has shown me what love is and I'm so happy that I still have the chance to tell him how much I love him. I really had thought that he had died!" she said and sobered up with effort. "But my old man is not to know! Kami-sama knows what he'd do with that knowledge!"

**  
**Nabiki sneered and nodded. "Probably something incredibly stupid. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, Red." she said with a smile and released the hug.

**  
**The redhead smiled back. "Thanks, Nabs. I really wanna have my peace and quiet from his idiotic schemes. Why can't he be more like Katsuhito? But no, stupid pops only cares about himself. Feh."

**  
**The middle Tendo daughter nodded. "I know. But your mother is currently reeducating him and I'm providing some advice when needed. Who knows, maybe your father will be a changed man when you return here."

**  
**Ranma snorted. "I doubt that. But it's a good thing that ya keep him on his toes; this way he can't do something stupid."

**  
**The two shared a knowing smile. "And how is it to be a girl full-time now, Red?" Nabiki asked.

**  
**The Saotome girl surveyed Nabiki. There was no hint of anything else but honest curiosity in her posture and Ranma decided to answer truthfully. "To be honest I have not paid that much attention to it lately. The whole thing with Kasumi has shaken me up pretty bad so that I just didn't care. But I guess what without getting splashed constantly it ain't so bad. However having to sit down to take a leak sucked in the beginning but I got used ta it. All in all it ain't so bad."

**  
**Nabiki hid her grin. She had caught the real message all right. What Ranma had said translated into 'Its okay, but you'd never hear me admitting it'. Yes, that was Ranma for you; but she could see that Ranma was apparently enjoying being a girl, for the first time.

**  
**Who would have thought upon their arrival that the rough macho Ranma Saotome would actually learn how to be a girl, helped along by her sister-turned-brother? Sometimes life sure was funny. "I see." she said amused before becoming earnest again. "Ranma from what you told me your mother and my father will check on my new brother when they return with you to the Masakis. I'd like to see him too but tomorrow would be better for me. I have some business to conduct today."

**  
**Ranma nodded thoughtful. "Should have thought of that myself, Nabs. Of course ya wanna see Kasumi. Or rather Yoshiro." she said with a giggle.

**  
**That caused the middle Tendo daughter to perk up. She smelled a juicy story here. "Yoshiro, eh? How is my older brother? Is he handsome? Is he a good kisser? Details, Red."

**  
**The younger girl blushed. "A definite yes to both, Nabs. He's the only guy I'd ever allow to kiss or touch me. Kasumi showed me what love is, in both forms. Before I was blind thanks to pops but Kasumi made me see. I love her and I love him but you must promise me that you won't tell pops."

**  
**Nabiki grinned. "10,000 Yen." she said with her Ice-queen mask in place.

**  
**Ranma looked shocked. "Nabiki!"

**  
**Said middle Tendo daughter let her mask fall and her eyes twinkled. "You're just too easy, Saotome." she exclaimed between giggles.

**  
**At first Ranma looked indignant but then she joined Nabiki in her laughter. Sometimes she really _was_ too easy. With a smile at Ranma the middle Tendo daughter got up from the floor and both girls returned to the main-room.

**  
**-.-

**  
**After the fight Shampoo had asked for permission to visit the Tendo Dojo, and Cologne had granted the request of her great-granddaughter. She might have been old, but her age came as an advantage; she had acquired experience with age, and she had especially gained experience at getting insight into people. The Elder had recognised that Shampoo had not given up on Ranma completely yet.

**  
**She saw the need within her great-granddaughter to achieve some closure, even if this closure would, unbeknownst to her, not have a happy ending in the happily ever after sense. Or maybe Xian-Pu _did_ suspect something. The girl had matured lately and was on her way to become the woman she would be. After the failed wedding she had even made the effort to improve her admittedly horrid Japanese in an effort to improve her chances at Ranma. This alone had proven that her great-granddaughter was able to swallow her pride and make a decision based on the situation and facts, like a true warrior should.

**  
**From her experience at reading people, and especially her great-granddaughter, she was certain that Xian-Pu would not get carried away, mostly because of her increased maturity; and honestly, depending on Ranma's answer she had no other choice but to accept the decision Ranma would make. Her Xian-Pu had already lost her airen due to her and the councils decision, but at least she would be allowed to take part in his/her life by being a blood sister. Once Ranma would tell her the truth Kuh Lon had little to no doubt that Xian-Pu would act like the leader she had been brought up to be and accept the necessities.

**  
**Kuh Lon was more knowledgeable than Xian-Pu in regards of the developments in Ranma's life as of late and she had little doubt that the feelings between Ranma and Tendo Kasumi had blossomed into full-blown love in the meantime. She had watched the chemistry between too many couples in her more than 300 years of existence and she had a nose for it. Ranma and Kasumi were steering into a relationship of the most serious kind, and they had the advantage that they had opposite curses. Definitely something to make life very interesting.

**  
**Her great-granddaughter had lost, but her honour had been retained, which meant that she wouldn't be in any danger from the tribe. Granted, she would have loved nothing more than to see her Xian-Pu happy with Ranma, but it just had not meant to be. At least the whole enterprise had not been a complete fiasco, for she had gained a martial arts heir and a very potent ally to the tribe.

**  
**The Elder watched with a sigh as her great-granddaughter bounded over the rooftops, with the feint hope in her heart that Ranma would declare his, or rather her love for her. She would undoubtedly suffer a disappointment, but Xian-Pu was young and strong. She'd survive, and be stronger for it. And at long last she would achieve closure.

**  
**-.-

**  
**The subject of Elder Colognes' thoughts was currently bounding over the Nerimanian rooftops, enjoying the way how the wind rushed past her as she approached her destination. As much as she missed her village, she loved moments like these where she just did not have to think. She could just enjoy being free and pretend to be a normal, even if super-powered human teenager. All her worries left her in times like these, but her senses were heightened to the max.

**  
**Little did she know that she felt exactly like Ranma in that respect; while her body was acting on auto-pilot Xian-Pu tried to get out of her nearly meditative state. She needed to organise her thoughts. A warrior always needed a sound battle strategy, and the best course of action, she mused, was to drop her ditzy act and act polite for a change. **'So no new doors in the wall then. What a pity. It was always so much fun to see the faces of the Tendos when I did that… especially Akanes.'** she mused to herself.

**  
**Landing in front of the gate that led to the Tendo Dojo Xian-Pu surveyed her own appearance and straightened her clothes. Instead of her usual, revealing outfit she was now wearing a more appropriate and elegant robe that managed to accentuate her figure in just the right ways. Satisfied with herself she made her presence known.

**  
**Moments later Soun Tendo came to the main gate, and she could tell that he was surprised to see her here. "Hello Shampoo. How can I help you?"

**  
**"This one would like to talk to Ranma." she said, trying to speak proper and polite Japanese.

**  
**If Soun Tendo was surprised by this he did not show it. "But of course. Follow me to the house."

**  
**Xian-Pu nodded and did just that.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Once Soun Tendo and his guest were walking up the path that led to the house he asked himself what the young Amazon would do. To his knowledge she had kept to herself the entire time ever since the Kisses had been dissolved, deliveries aside. His reawakened warrior instincts told him that she wanted to confront Ranma were she stood, and he could not fault her.

**  
**Ranma was an amazing person, and it had taken his daughter getting cursed and everything that had happened afterwards to show this fact to him. It was no wonder that Shampoo would try everything that remained in the boundaries of tribal law. At least Soun hoped that she would stay within these boundaries. The Tendo patriarch opened the door absently, let Shampoo in and closed it.

**  
**True to her upbringing Shampoo acted independently and walked straight to the living room. During the last few minutes she had prepared herself as she would for a battle, and she prayed to her ancestors that victory would be hers. She entered the living room boldly and with a composure that would make her ancestors proud.

**  
**She however nearly stumbled when she sensed the large auras in the living room; the blue-haired Amazon was glad that she had honed her skills in this regard or she might have been inclined to discount the three unknown persons. But their powerlevels and the way they surveyed her spoke volumes. She would do good not to anger them.

**  
**Not showing her surprise she made her eyes sparkle and smiled. "Nihao, everyone." she exclaimed and produced enough ramen from somewhere, somehow. "This one brought too too good ramen! Is enough for everyone! Dig in!"

**  
**"Err, thanks, Shampoo." said Ranma who had returned with Nabiki from the dojo a few moments prior to Shampoos´ arrival, acting as a spokesperson for the others who nevertheless thanked her politely too.

**  
**"What can we do for you, Shampoo?" asked Nabiki, coming straight to the point.

**  
**"This one wants to talk to aire... Ranma. I wanted to see if you are well." answered the Amazon.

**  
**Ranma, who had expected something like that ever since her return to Nerima, knew the real reason; she had had a long time to think things through since their leave-taking, and that Shampoo would want to hear how things were out of her mouth was crystal-clear. Even without her being Shampoo's airen any longer, the blue-haired Amazon had never heard _her_ say that she did not want to marry her. She deserved at least this much. Ranma was however somewhat surprised at Shampoo's improved Japanese, but this being Nerima she shrugged it off. Weirdness was normal around here after all.

**  
**Swallowing some rice the redhead sighed inwardly. "Sure, Shampoo. Right after we have eaten the ramen, okay?"

**  
**"Some things never change." said a chuckling Nabiki, eliciting a few laughs from the others. The ex-ice-queen turned to Shampoo. °_I assume this has not been tampered with in any way, warrior Xian-Pu?_° she asked in flawless mandarin.

**  
**Shampoo was visibly shocked. °_You speak my language?_°

**  
**While the others watched, the Nerimans as surprised as Shampoo, a smug looking Nabiki answered. °_Yes, warrior Xian-Pu. Ever since your arrival here in Nerima communicating with you has been a real hassle. Between your limited abilities at speaking and understanding Japanese and our lack of knowledge of Chinese it created awkward situations and a lot of misunderstandings, did it not?_°

**  
**The blue-haired Amazon agreed immediately. °_It was sooo frustrating not to be able to talk to husba… Ranma like I wanted to. He must have thought me the stupid bimbo I was accused of being. But learning how to speak and understand Japanese was and is still hard. This one can't imagine that learning Mandarin was easy for you, mercenary one. Why did you learn it?_°

**  
**While the heads of the others swished back and forth without an inkling of what they were talking about Ayeka had done the sensible thing; she had activated her universal translator and was thus able to listen in to the conversation. Depending on the contents she would relay what she had learned later.

**  
**The middle Tendo girl smiled. °_When Ranma tricked you everyone else was convinced that we had seen the last of you. I however had a hunch that we would see you again, and I wanted to be prepared. Oh, I can anticipate your question. Why did I know better? Simple. I had witnessed Ranma's incredible 'luck'. Don't tell her I said this, but she seems to be the epitome of Murphy's law. 'Everything that can go wrong will go wrong.' Her problems aren't solved this easily, and as I knew this I prepared myself. And I was right to._°

**  
**°_I understand. But why do you keep referring to hus… Ranma as 'her'? Ranma is a man, regardless of the form!_° exclaimed Shampoo.

**  
**Nabiki smiled. °_Look at 'her'. Doesn't 'she' seem more female to you? Ranma has begun to accept the curse, if she knows it or not. She knows now that she will always be half and half, that there is no cure, and she is finally beginning to enjoy being the other half. You can see it therein that she did not bother to redo her hair into a pigtail, for instance. She just let it flow freely instead; before the trip Ranma would never have done that. Too bad that she had to leave Nerima to find herself. But sadly that's everyones' fault, mine included._°

**  
**Shampoo had followed Nabikis' request and had watched Ranma inconspicuously. To her surprise she noticed that everything that the middle Tendo daughter had said was true. °_Great Aphrodite on a bike! It's true…_° she grind out, clearly thinking about the implications.

**  
**After some moments and the train of thought that she'd have to find out in their talk if Ranma had indeed changed from the paragon of manliness he had always been into something else the Amazon shook herself out of her musings. °_And why did you keep your ability to speak mandarin a secret?_° she asked, changing the subject back to the original thread.

**  
**°_You think I should have tried to use my skills to try to communicate with you after your return?_° the middle Tendo daughter asked with a smile and Shampoo nodded. °_I **would** have done that had you come back alone. But you came back with company. Elder Kuh Lon, your great-grandmother, and an unknown variable at this point in time. I watched and observed, and seeing as the two of you spoke Chinese freely I learned._°

**  
**Against her will, Shampoo had to admit that she was impressed. °_You turned your ability to speak and understand Mandarin to your advantage; and advantages are for using, else they are no advantages. Thought like a warrior, mercenary one. I commend you._°

**  
**Nabiki bowed. °_This one thanks you. Now you should go and talk to Ranma before the others start a riot, seeing as they can't understand a word we speak._° she said with amusement.

**  
**Shampoo kept her own flaring amusement in check. Apparently there was much more to the mercenary one than she had thought. With her cunning mind she would make an excellent Amazon; too bad that she wasn't much of a fighter. °_This one will do that. To answer your original question: no, the ramen is just that, ramen. I swear on my honour as a warrior._°

**  
**"Okay." said a satisfied Nabiki, switching back to Japanese.

**  
**"What the heck was all this about?" asked Genma, for once voicing the nagging question of many.

**  
**"Oh, I just let Shampoo in on the secret that I can speak and understand Chinese. Now dig in and try the ramen. Shampoo has sworn that it is okay and I believe her." Nabiki said and tried her own package.

**  
**Shrugging the others followed her example, and even the three guests from Okayama enjoyed the 'dessert'.

**  
**A little while later when Ranma had been filled the redhead excused herself to the kitchen and gave Shampoo a sign to follow her. Her mother and Nabiki had seen and understood, being the observant persons they were. They were not worried. Ranma could handle herself.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Once in the kitchen Ranma seated herself on the counter while Shampoo remained standing. The redhead appeared to be completely at ease, but she had her guard up just in case to be prepared for anything and could react in an instant. Not that she thought that Shampoo would try something, but she had experienced too much weirdness in Nerima to ever truly let her guard down around here ever again. "What did you want to talk about, Shampoo?" she asked, starting the conversation.

**  
**"Air… Ranma, this one wants to apologise for the things she did while reinforcing her claim. This one only did what she had to do not to bring dishonour over her clan and herself. Hope you understand and can forgive."

**  
**The redhead looked thoughtful for a moment as if weighing options, but then she inclined her head. "Its not easy for me to forgive you all the schemes and plans you concocted while you tried to win me, and Kami-sama knows that I was often very angry at you. You often managed to drive a wedge between Akane and me, and it made me mad. But you know me, I can never stay mad at people for long. So if you promise that you'll never try to sabotage my life again I will forgive you. I want us to be friends, Shampoo, but that's only possible if I can trust you. Can I?"

**  
**Shampoo was put off for a moment; this Ranma was indeed different from the Ranma she had last seen a few weeks ago. It seemed indeed as if Ranma was thinking like a warrior, like a female. This Ranma did not give trust as easily any more, and it proved what Nabiki had said. It seemed indeed as if the female side in Ranma was awakening. Personally she had thought and hoped that her former airen would continue to fight the curse for forever; she had never liked Ranma-chan much, as Ranma had worn this body when she had dishonoured her through showing her up. But she had to know if she still had a shot at Ranma-kun.

**  
**Turning her charm up in hopes of unsettling Ranma she batted her lashes. "Friends? Is that all I am to you? A friend?" she asked with a cute pout.

**  
**Instead of sputtering like she would have done a few weeks ago Ranma kept her cool. A small smile graced her face. "Yes, Shampoo. I have always tried to show you that I don't feel anything for you but friendship. I like you, but as a friend, not a lover."

**  
**"But… but what about the time when this one was subjected to the reversal jewel? You claimed that you loved me! You wanted to marry me!" exclaimed Shampoo.

**  
**The redhead on the counter gave a sigh. "Shampoo, I had no idea that you were under a spell. I just could not understand why you wouldn't like me any more. I thought you were my friend, and my friends are very important to me. You know why? Sadly I don't have that many." she said with a sad smile. "I thought I had done something wrong and I did a lot of foolish things to try to get you to like me again. But I did not do it because I wanted you as a lover. All I ever wanted from you was friendship."

**  
**Shampoo looked decidedly dejected, even if she had half-expected to hear these words. "But… but I still love you… Ranma."

**  
**Ranma sighed once more. "Shampoo, I respect you as a warrior and I have grown to like you, as a friend. You know why a love between the two of us had never a chance?"

**  
**The blue haired Amazon shook her head. "No. Why?"

**  
**"It's because of the Kiss of Death. When you hunted me and tried to kill me for defeating you, you hunted _me_, Ranma Saotome. This body was as much me as my male half, even if I only understood that recently. I can never forget that you were on a mission to kill me, Shampoo. And then over something as stupid as a challenge prize." the redhead stated.

**  
**"Was not stupid! It was an important trophy and the great prize for the winner of the tournament!" Shampoo exclaimed, pouting.

**  
**Ranma smiled a chagrined smile. "Be it as it is, Shampoo, but I read up on your rules while I surfed the Net. I never would have thought it, but you can actually order 'The full book of Ancient Amazon Law' at amazon . com. I thought the coincidence funny and ordered the e-book. Shampoo, you were never entitled to administer the Kiss of Death. The challenge was declared over the food, it was not a challenge fight of the formal kind, or a challenge for an Amazon male. The Kiss of Death was unwarranted, but I'm sure you know that."

**  
**The redhead held her hands up to stem the protest. "Shampoo, you know that as well as I do. Your rules for the Kiss of Death are quite strict, and how do you think I felt when I found out that you had needlessly seeked my life? I felt betrayed; betrayed and angry. Then you managed to get engaged to my male half by accident, also highly questionable even by your rules for there was no formally declared challenge, and I should instantly bow to your claim and love you back? After you tried to kill me for months? How does that sound to your own ears, Shampoo?" she asked softly.

**  
**Shampoo opened her mouth and closed it again when she realised that she could not counter what Ranma had said; for everything she had said was true. That had probably also been one of the reason why her great-grandmother had annulled the Kisses. She would have been disgraced had her usage of the Kisses ever been investigated by political enemies of her great-grandmother. With the annulment her hibachan had not only restored her honour, she had also cleaned up a blemish on their family name.

**  
**Finally she sighed. "Is too too true." she said, falling back into her old speech-patterns for a moment. Shaking her head she continued. She just could not give up on Ranma like that. "Isn't there a chance for us, Ranma?" she asked, managing to look like a kitten that meowed 'please love me!'.

**  
**Ranma really hated to crush Shampoo's hopes, but she finally had to make clear that she had chosen. "No, Shampoo. I only want to be your friend. Kasumi is my chosen one, and I want to spend the rest of my days with my beloved. I am happy, Shampoo, for the first time in my life I am truly happy."

**  
**The young Amazon warrior had looked down when she had heard the words that told her that there was no hope, but her head shot up when she heard the rest. "Aiyah! You have chosen nice girl? How could _that_ happen?"

**  
**The Saotome girl who had felt irritable and queasy all day reacted irritated. "Excuuuse me! How now?" she asked with her hands on her hips and with an undertone that indicated danger, flames dancing in her eyes.

**  
**Shampoo was taken aback once more. It was so unlike Ranma to react this way. That was so out of character ! **'Aiyah! Why is Ranma so mad? No… it couldn't be that! But what if… no! Ranma just has a bad day. Oops, he, no she, is still waiting for an answer!'** she thought. "It's just that I'm surprised that you have chosen a non-warrior. Do you really love nice girl Kasumi?"

**  
**"And brave man Kasumi, or rather Yoshiro too." Ranma answered with conviction. Seeing her puzzled expression Ranma sighed again and started explaining to Shampoo what had happened as of late.

**  
**When she had ended Shampoo was looking appropriately impressed. "I would have never guessed." she finally said and sighed. It really seemed to be a day of sighs and Shampoo came to the final conclusion that she'd have no other choice but to accept that the finest catch was not available any more.

**  
**"Fate is funny sometimes, Shampoo. When I came to Nerima I would never have thought it either. But Kasumi was always nice to me, and much more grew from it. There is just too much between us, Shampoo, beside the fact that I don't love you like I love Kasumi. You still think of me as a prize to be won over and not as an equal. In your village, even if I went with you (what I won't) I'd only be a second class citizen; and that is something I could never accept." the redhead said with conviction.

**  
**Despite her rapidly dwindling hopes Shampoo looked pleadingly at her and brokenly asked "Ranma, can't you give me a chance?"

**  
**Ranma sighed. "Shampoo, there has just happened too much in the past between us. The Kiss of Death where you hunted me like a wild animal, your several tries to get me by magic, all the times you drove a wedge between Akane and me and so much more. No, Shampoo, there is no chance for love between us."

**  
**The blue haired Amazons's whole posture slumped in acceptance. Just one look into those blue eyes told her that Ranma meant what she said, and she had to accept it or she'd become as much an obsessive maniac as Mu-Tzu had been. She had tried everything within the laws and the thought to employ illegal means briefly touched her mind; but one thing Ranma had said crushed that thought as fast as it had popped up. "I am happy." Ranma had said.

**  
**And when one looked at the redhead for a longer moment one could see visual proof for this. Ranma indeed looked like a, yes, a woman in love. And this love was true, genuine love and apparently this type of love that would last a lifetime. Anything she could try to win Ranma's love, all the magical means, would only create an artificial love and not true love that came from the heart.

**  
**Her own heart was breaking but Shampoo realised that she had no other choice but to let Ranma go. She had tried everything to win Ranma's heart but her fellow warrior had found love with someone else, a someone none of them had had on the equation. This she had to accept. The race for Ranma's heart was over, and she had lost. But how had hibachan always said? 'Life is strange sometimes. When it throws a lemon your way, make it into lemon-juice.'

**  
**She wanted to partake in Ranma's life in the future, and if her only options of doing so were as a friend and shield-sister, then she would be the best friend and shield-sister she could be. Sensing that Ranma had politely given her the time to draw her conclusions she looked up and smiled. "I understand your choice, warrior Ranma." she said and noticed how the redheads' brows shot up.

**  
**Shampoo suppressed the giggle with difficulties, but she had to remain formal. "This one would like to become your shield-sister, warrior Ranma." she said and got to one knee, her head bowed and her bonborries in her hands. "I, warrior Shampoo, humbly request to have the honours of calling the warrior Saotome Ranma my shield sister."

**  
**Ranma was surprised, honoured and moved at the same time. Wiping away some tears she got down from the counter and dropped to one knee herself and bowed too. "I would be honoured to, warrior Shampoo." she said and her voice conveyed her smile.

**  
**The blue-haired Amazon smiled a somewhat forced smile. It would be a long time before she had truly come to terms with the loss of her airen, but at least she had gained a shield-sister. With a complicated movement of her arms she bowed once more before Ranma. "Herewith declare I, warrior Shampoo of the Joketsuzoku the warrior Saotome Ranma as my shield sister with the great goddess Aphrodite as my witness. From now on and forever."

**  
**The redhead smiled at true smile. "Thank you, Shampoo. I knew I could trust you" she said and embraced the other girl in a hug.

**  
**Moments later they separated and Shampoo smiled. "I have to go now, shield-sister. But I promise to visit you. Zài jiàn." she said and bowed.

**  
**A relieved Ranma bowed back while Shampoo used the backdoor to make her exit. That had gone better than expected, thought Ranma.

**  
**Unseen by both of them a wizened old matriarch stood balanced on her staff, hidden from view by a cloaking technique as efficient as the one Happosai had used. **'I am proud of you, great-granddaughter. You decided wisely, like the warrior I hoped you to be. Now, finally I can begin to train you for real.' **

**  
**And with that cryptic thought Kuh Lon, head matriarch of the Joketsuzoku disappeared into the night.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Soon Nodoka and Soun were ready for departure. Genma had been convinced that accompanying them was out of the question. The Saotome patriarch had had no luck in convincing his wife otherwise and now everyone had congregated at the door that led to the Masaki home, or more accurately, Washu's lab.

**  
**Ranma looked at Nabiki. "I hope you can visit soon, Nabs. And say hi to Akane from me. I'll try to stay clear of trouble but with my life I can guarantee for naught." she said with a lopsided smile.

**  
**Nabiki nodded. "You can say that again, kiddo. And you can be sure that I'll do both of what you requested without a fee. That's what friends do. Besides, this" she reached into one of her pockets, "is my mail-address. Even with you mother going with you I have to catch you up on a lot that happened around Nerima and seeing as you have to get back already this is the best solution. You might have something in your inbox later, Red."

**  
**The redhead nodded with a smile and embraced the older girl in a hug. "Friends, Nabs. I'd love to stay some more and chat with ya, I really do, but the others are probably waiting for us. And I want to see Kasumi. I'll write you a mail to tell you when you can stop by tomorrow. Should be in your inbox sometime around this evening." she said with a smile as the two girls separated.

**  
**"You and me both want to see Kasumi, Ranma." Soun Tendo said and laid a hand on her shoulder. That simple gesture showed her that he did not blame her any more for what had happened to his oldest child. "Forgive me for my unthinking comment. I just couldn't bear the thought that something had happened to her… him."

**  
**Ranma smiled up at him. "No need to apologise, Mr. Tendo. I know how you feel and I understand." she said. Her unspoken words said 'I feel the same.'.

**  
**Soun managed a smile too and Nodoka was very proud of her daughter. Her child seemed to have matured a lot lately. Maybe she should have sent her to the Masakis a lot earlier.

**  
**Tenchi and his two fiancées had stood in the background and had watched the proceedings. Ranma led a very chaotic life indeed, if what had happened today was any indicator. It was absolutely no wonder that she'd needed to get away; and even if it had not been her own idea the fact remained that she needed a normal life. At least more normal than around here and as normal as it could get in a household of aliens. Together with Ryoko and Ayeka he would do his utmost to ensure just that.

**  
**Nodoka waved a good-bye at Nabiki and Genma. Finally Ranma opened the door and with a last wave she stepped through the vortex and to the other side.

**  
**-.-

**  
**The first thing Nodoka noticed after she had stepped through the door was the feeling of sliding down… something. There was no description that actually fit the feeling and for a better description the 'ride' was much too short.

**  
**She had watched the vortex with trepidation and had only stepped into it after Tenchi and the two girls had assured her that it was in fact safe; accepting that and seeing that her daughter had already stepped through she had gathered up her courage and had followed her daughter.

**  
**Nodoka had however not expected to end up in a comfortable looking room that looked a lot like a room meant for rest & recreation. Her daughter was sitting on a comfortable looking couch and was obviously waiting for her and the rest of the group to arrive. The Saotome matriarch smiled at her daughter and looked around. The room she had arrived in was very large; at least one-hundred square metres, she estimated.

**  
**Aside from three comfortable looking sofas and a large table it also contained a kitchenette. A large TV-set and a sophisticated looking juke-box stood in one corner of the room; both were hooked up to a surround-system that would have made a rock-band envious. The room even held a pool-billiard table which completed the impression of an r&r room.

**  
**The next one to arrive was Soun Tendo and he too took his time to look around after he had sorted himself. Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko followed last and when they were through the door closed. Yet another door appeared at the backside of the room and little Washu stepped through. In her hand she carried the control unit for the doors. Pressing a button on it she smiled. "And that ensures that no unauthorised persons will be able to follow…" she muttered.

**  
**Nodoka looked chagrined at hearing this comment; it seemed as if the stupidity of her husband was well know around here already. If her daughter had told the Masakis everything, and she had good reason to believe that, then her old masters reactions towards her would be… interesting.

**  
**But she had wanted to see with her own eyes how the love of her child was. Nodoka also simply felt that her child needed her support, and came there hell or high water she would stand by the side of her daughter. She'd missed out so much on her child's life already and even if she was evolving into an independent individual she would be there to offer her help and support whenever her child needed it. "I see you have heard of my husband." she said and attracted the attention of Washu who had been absorbed in adjusting her gadget, "Hello, I'm Nodoka Saotome." she finished with a bow.

**  
**Washu bowed back. "I'm Washu. But call me little Washu or Washu-chan." she said in a tone of voice that brought across that this was no suggestion. "And yes I have heard of your husband and his deeds."

**  
**The unspoken message was 'I hope you're better' and Nodoka understood that all too well. They probably also knew about the Seppuku pledge and everything else. From her current point of view and in hindsight on her former behaviour she could not fault them. But as the saying goes, hindsight was always 20/20. "I see." Nodoka finally said with a nod.

**  
**She had been instructed on how to handle Washu earlier and as she knew the background of Katsuhito aka Yosho it did not come as too great a surprise that Washu was actually a being that was over 20,000 years old. It was however intriguing that Washu did not give herself a more mature appearance regarding her abilities and obvious experience; there had to be a story behind that, Nodoka mused.

**  
**Soun on his part had been blown out of his chair, especially after Ryoko had demonstrated her abilities outside of the battlefield and offered proof for their stories. Nodoka smiled at the memory. It had taken the Tendo patriarch five minutes to recover from the shock but after that stunning display he'd had no other choice but to believe the stories Tenchi and his fiancées had told him.

**  
**Thus it was no surprise that Soun was acting a tad bit cautious towards Washu. "Hello, Washu-chan. I am Soun Tendo, the father of Kasumi. I'm pleased to meet you." he said formally and bowed.

**  
**Washu actually smiled and bowed back. Wasn't it nice to be treated with respect? "Likewise." she said. "Now would you like to see your son? At present he's suspended in one of my regeneration tanks and won't come out until in a few days when the healing process will be completed but you can assess the progress of the healing process."

**  
**Nodoka, Soun and foremost Ranma all nodded eagerly. Especially the younger redhead was looking forward to see her love again. She had tried to distract herself and to be true a lot of distractions had been offered but her thoughts had kept on returning to her love anyway.

**  
**The fights aside, up till now practical thoughts like 'I can't help him anyway as long as he's in the tank.' had kept her away from the medical section of the lab but now her want to see him was overwhelming. From minute one on that she knew that he was alive and would survive she'd had the feeling that she could not be without him any more, and now the suppressed feeling came back to the fore with a vengeance.

**  
**Eager she followed little Washu who had turned around and strode right towards the door she had used a few minutes ago. Opening it she beckoned Nodoka, Soun and Ranma to step through. When she looked at Tenchi he silently communicated that they'd remain behind. And Washu understood. It was for family only.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Ranma had been the first to step through the vortex and she reappeared in the now familiar medical wing of the lab. However it was the proper thing to wait for her mother and Soun. Luckily the two followed with Washu little later and the diminutive scientist led the way.

**  
**It turned out that the regeneration tanks were placed in another wing of the medical lab and the two women and one man marvelled at the technological wonders Washu had created. Wonders that had helped save the life of Kasumi; and for that they'd always be thankful towards Washu.

**  
**Finally their voyage through the medical section ended when Washu stepped through a door. Like in so many sci-fi series the doors in the lab opened automatically upon approach and Washu grinned at the surprise and curiosity in the eyes of Nodoka and Soun. She also sensed that the other redhead of the group was getting impatient; it was obvious that Ranma wanted to see Kasumi and thus Washu beckoned the group to follow her.

**  
**Looking around the group noticed that the walls were practically plastered with regeneration tanks that looked very much like those Ranma was used to from Dragonball Z; it did not take her long to find her love as he was at present the only one to occupy a tank. She was however not prepared to take in the sight that was presented to her.

**  
**And while she uttered a soft "Oh my!" and was busy keeping her eyes from popping out Soun rushed forward, muttering something to the effect of "My baby!". Ranma however was blushing furiously. Kasumi was in the regeneration tank alright but she had forgotten the simple detail that he was utterly naked! With a deep blush Ranma turned around and her vista was caught by her mother; said mother giggled quietly and she nudged her daughter in the side. "Like what you see, daughter?" she whispered into her ear.

**  
**"Eep!" Ranma exclaimed. "Mom! I'm a guy!" she protested then, blushing further.

**  
**Nodoka smiled. Her daughter was so easy to manipulate. "Not at the moment, dear. And I admit that your love is a hunk. Good catch, daughter."

**  
**That comment only served to deepen the blush further and Ranma felt that she must look like a tomato with sunburn. Why had her mother the unusual talent to embarrass her so easily? Or was it something that all mothers were masters at? With a sigh she had to admit to herself that her mother was right. Her love _was_ a hunk. "I know, mom. I love him and her so much that I think I'll burst to bits. I simply can't imagine a life without Kasumi any more and I dunno how I survived without him."

**  
**-.-

**  
**Needless to say this caught Soun's attention. He'd had his suspicions as of late but to hear it confirmed in this way… maybe the dream of uniting the schools would come true after all! But Soun had also realised prior to all this that the happiness of his children and of Ranma was more important than joining the schools. It had taken him some time to bring himself to this conclusion but what was the joining of the schools good for if those who joined it did not love each other? In a case like that _he_ could have as good married Ranma, as absurd as that sounded.

**  
**But now it seemed that love had blossomed between his oldest and Ranma, and gauging from the look on Ranma's face as she looked at his daughter-turned-son he mused that it had hit quite hard; Soun could not help but smile. He knew that look all too well; he'd worn it himself since the day he had fallen in love with his wife and till her untimely death. However he'd never have expected to see that facial expression on the face of the female Ranma. Yes, life was strange sometimes but it seemed that it was paying back a certain Saotome child for what it had thrown its way. And it seemed that payback was a fairy in this case.

**  
**If Kasumi was as much in love as Ranma, and he had no reason to doubt it he'd have to ensure that Genma remained ignorant. As much as he would have liked to pull out the victory fans and the asserted stuff in order to celebrate with Genma he knew that he could not; sadly his friend had the unhealthy tendency to do, ahem, stupid things and if he knew that Ranma and his daughter-turned-son loved each other he'd pull the stops to get them married right away.

**  
**Soun had thought long and hard about this as he had hoped that something would happen between the two; the signs had been there and he had been correct. When he'd sat down to think long and hard about the matter he'd thought about what Kasumi and Ranma would wish. He'd put himself into their places; would he have wanted to marry at age 20 respectively 17? Would he want to have children at such an early age in their specific situation?

**  
**It had been this way for him but nowadays things had changed; with all the realisations that had come as of late he knew without a doubt that Kasumi would want more out of life than just being a housewife; as his son he could go out into the world and attend college, study and so much more. For Ranma it was the same; once her grades got up she'd probably manage to attend college too. She had proven that she could improve vastly and with enough tutoring good grades could be achieved.

**  
**No, he had concluded, those two would not want to marry right away and he could not fault them; especially Ranma was a burned child after their attempts to marry him/her off to Akane. He'd vowed that he'd not repeat his past mistakes and therefore he'd leave the decision up to the two. Even if it meant keeping his old friend Genma in the dark.

**  
**Also, who could say if this blossoming love was meant to last? In his opinion it was much too early to tell and in contrast to his former actions he would not take chances any more. These two should find out for themselves and built something from it without constant interference. It had taken him a lot to swallow his pride and admit it, but he had been as guilty in the failed relationship between his youngest and Ranma as anyone else. But he'd vowed to make it better this time.

**  
**When his look swept over to his man-turned-daughter he felt an odd sense of pride. He had always wished for a son and had been quite sad when his wife and he had been unable to produce one. Of course he was very happy that he had three wonderful and healthy daughters but a specific spot in his heart had remained empty.

**  
**Empty because of all the things he would never be able to share with a son. When Ranma had arrived he had thought that he'd maybe be able to do these things with him as his future son-in-law but then Ranma had turned out to be a girl. He'd not only been disappointed that the agreement would now not be fulfilled but also because of this other lost chance. Sure, Ranma had turned out to be a boy but he'd forgotten all about his plans.

**  
**Now looking at Kasumi, in male form, brought all these thoughts to the fore. His new son looked strong and he could see the resemblance with his own father in him, Kasumi's paternal grandfather. And Kasumi, or more accurately Yoshiro had already made him proud. He did not know as of yet what he had done but it must have been something special. Yes, he was proud of his child and he'd do his utmost that Ranma and his child would be unbothered until _they_ decided that it was time to marry.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Shaking himself out of his musings Soun walked over and laid a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "I'm glad that you two have found love together and you don't need to worry; we won't force you to marry. But we'll talk about this later. Now go see my son." he said with an encouraging slap to her back.

**  
**Ranma was surprised and her face showed it. They were _not_ going to force them to marry? Now that was a new one. She'd have to talk to her mother about that later to find out if that could be trusted; usually her life was never that easy and she did not trust the new peace.

**  
**Outwardly she just nodded and the happiness that showed on her face was not faked when she walked over to the tank that held the love of her live. Now that she knew what to expect she could stand his appearance; also she had seen her own male form naked on more occasions than she could count. Beside that she had also learned that the body did not really matter but the person inside. She had taken that lesson to heart enough so that she could appreciate both forms of her love.

**  
**It also helped immensely that he was a hunk. Her mother had been right, her love was a good catch and she was happy to have Kasumi. Thanks to him/her her life had changed drastically in the last few weeks and aside from what had happened yesterday all for the better. If this was all some dream she never wanted to wake up again. To have a mother who had accepted her as she was, to have someone who loved her unconditionally and both forms of her to boot, to have a perspective, a future… what more could she wish for?

**  
**Smiling she walked over to the tank and stood before it, placing her hands against the glass or whatever this substance was. When she took Kasumi's other form in she was forcefully reminded that she had not given her gender one damn thought in the last 36 hours. Simply too much had happened. It had yet been another surprise when Mr. Tendo had called Kasumi, or rather Yoshiro his son.

**  
**Apparently he had accepted the curse of his daughter instantly and she mused that she understood at least some reasons; in Japanese culture most men hoped for a male offspring and the curse had given Mr. Tendo one. However she'd have to ensure that he did not forget the female side of Kasumi. But inwardly she wished that her father and mother could have been the same, or her mother at least earlier, for she slowly began to notice the effects the support she experienced now had.

**  
**She had not once had the urge to change back up till now; that might also have to do with the fact that she'd had three big fights in the last 36 hours, one of them to the death. Also the love of her life had nearly given his life for her and happenings like that made her curse seem… insignificant. Sure, she still missed her birthform and the feelings that came with it but she was getting happier and happier with this body. Especially now that she was training it to become stronger.

**  
**As she surveyed the sleeping and healing form of her love she mused that this female body she was now wearing was becoming more than a disguise; it was becoming a home to her and began to feel as natural as her birthform. Was that the beginning of what her mother described? Was she now finding out that she was really both sides of the coin now that her fighting this form had ceased? Why was she feeling so much better in this form now?

**  
**That thought sent her into a mild panic that she might become a complete girl; after all, she'd be a girl from now on, for three whole months! But then she remembered the words of her love that despite which body any of them wore it would still be them inside, Ranma Saotome and Kasumi Tendo. And that would not change regardless of the form. In this form she was a girl, that she began to accept, but she sure as hell still was Ranma Saotome!

**  
**Her mother must have seen the display of emotions on her face for she came walking towards her and softly hugged her from behind. It was so good to see her mother caring for her like this and she dearly hoped that it would always stay this way. As she was pulled into a hug by the still taller woman she simply relaxed into the comforting embrace. She was totally exhausted, mentally and physically and she liked the feeling of protection the hug gave her; she almost purred when her mother began stroking her hair.

**  
**Ranma had learned in the past weeks that it was more than okay to rely on others for comfort, especially onto persons you loved; Ranma could nearly feel the pleased smile of her mother when she snuggled deeper into her mothers embrace by leaning backwards. In silence mother and daughter watched the suspended form of one Yoshiro Tendo and both asked themselves the question what the future would bring.

**  
**-.-

**  
**After one last glance at her love Ranma left the room that held the regeneration tank together with her mother and Mr. Tendo. Little Washu had excused herself in the beginning as she had very important experiments to supervise, as she had said. They all had thanked her once more but Washu had waved it aside and commented that she'd only done what her genius demanded of her and had then returned to another section of her lab.

**  
**The diminutive scientist had been confident in their abilities to find their way back to the r&r-room. Little Washu had indeed not misplaced her 'faith' in their abilities as Ranma was able to lead them back without a problem. However, the room was utterly empty. Tenchi and the girls must have left to do Kami-sama knows what and little Washu was with high probability still experimenting on something. As soon as they had entered the room they used what it provided and Nodoka made some tea for all of them.

**  
**With a large cup of tea in her hands and a shrug Ranma sat down on one of the sofas; she had no idea how to make one of those doors and as it was no technique she would have little success in learning how to do it. Thus they could only wait until Washu would come and make one of her doors for them. But the meantime could be used.

**  
**When Nodoka and Soun Tendo had sat down too the Saotome matriarch called her daughter to order; said daughter was at the moment relaxing on her own couch, her appendages spread wide from her. "Daughter, that is no way to behave in the presence of others. I know you a hard time but that is no excuse to misbehave. So please seat yourself properly." she said with velvet-clad steel in her voice.

**  
**Ranma obeyed with an internal sigh and heaved her tired body into a sitting position. "Yes, mother."

**  
**Nodoka smiled while Soun hid a grin as both sipped their teas. In contrast to Genma Nodoka had such an easy time to bring her child to do what she wanted; the Tendo patriarch had always suspected that the reason for this was that Ranma still wanted to prove himself or rather herself to her mother.

**  
**He suspected that even after more than five months that the two were now interacting with each other Ranma had the urge to get acceptance from her mother. He only hoped that she would not be forced into something that she was not and if so he'd try his utmost to help the young individual that his oldest child loved so much.

**  
**That gave him a thought; he still did not know what had happened, at least not in detail. "Ranma, could you tell me exactly what has happened to Kasumi, or rather Yoshiro? I know next to nothing about it."

**  
**Pain flashed over her face for a second but Ranma nodded anyway. With that she launched herself into a detailed explanation of how the Android had attacked and how it had nearly managed to defeat all of them; and that then when it had looked the bleakest and the Android could have blasted her Yoshiro had jumped forward and had taken the blast meant for her. How she had believed that he had been killed due to the fact that he'd had no pulse or breathing and how something in her had snapped; that she had avenged her love and destroyed the tin can utterly.

**  
**Both Soun and Nodoka were very impressed with the deep feelings that had been displayed on the face of Ranma when she had told the tale; in former times Ranma would never have allowed emotions to escape his/her tight reign over them. It really seemed as if the happenings of the past day had changed the Saotome youth and who could fault her? She had nearly lost what apparently was the love of her life. And Soun had no doubts that the child of Nodoka and Genma loved his oldest child dearly. That had become clear, rapidly.

**  
**When Ranma had ended she looked at Soun, clearly waiting for judgement. The Tendo patriarch was getting nervous for a moment but when he thought of what the future could bring for the two young individuals his resolve was reaffirmed. "Your story confirms it, Ranma. I was wrong in my thoughtless words for you are not to blame. It was my son, my daughter-turned-son who decided to do what he deemed right. You might have been able to take this blast better yet he decided to shelter you from it. He wanted to save you, to protect you, and this makes me proud. Kasumi has become so much more in the last weeks and I'm sure this is also because of you. Thank you, Ranma, thank you for helping my child." he said and wiped away a tear. "I give you my word that your father will not learn any of this."

**  
**Ranma looked at Soun, then at Nodoka. The Saotome matriarch was proud of her daughter too, but she was also proud of what the new son of Soun had done. Such an act could only be motivated by great love (or great stupidity, but Nodoka was sure the former was the case here) and should her husband learn of this he'd set all hell in motion to force the two into marriage.

**  
**Yet Nodoka had understood that these things could not be forced as the failed wedding of Ranma and Akane had impressively proven. No, Genma was not to learn; even though he was not the Head of Clan any more that did not mean that he would not do something incredibly stupid with this knowledge. Sadly Genma was a man of unthinking acts and her top-priority regarding him was teaching him how to think before acting; which would be a Sisyphean-chore in and on itself.

**  
**But for now she'd enjoy some time with her daughter; sure, she missed her son but she had finally completely accepted in her heart that Ranma was just as much her daughter; a daughter she had never had but always wished for which had made accepting her admittedly easier. Kasumi had brought the point home that the happiness of her child should be her top-priority and she'd been right. The success was already showing as Ranma seemed as comfortable in her form as never before.

**  
**She was shaken out of her musings by something her daughter had said. "Sorry, Ranma, I did not catch that."

**  
**Her daughter smiled. "No prob, mom. I said to Mr. Tendo that he should involve pop in teaching in the dojo. Thus the old man would have no time to cook up something."

**  
**Nodoka smiled before she looked at Soun. "She's right. You wanted to start teaching again anyway and it would keep him on his toes. It might also be just what he needs to learn responsibility. Of course, I'll ensure that he won't step out of the line."

**  
**Ranma was torn between snickering and pitying her father for his fate. To have mom on his case with her katana would surely not be his dream; rather the opposite. Oh yes, her mother could indeed be scary and damn intimidating. **'Woe behold thee, pops.'** she thought amusedly. Finally she gave into snickering which then turned into full-blown giggles.

**  
**At first both adults were surprised to hear giggles from Ranma but then both remembered that this was normal for a girl. Nodoka smiled at her daughter. "What is so funny, Ranma?"

**  
**The redhead put her head into her hands and took a few calming breaths to help her recovery. "Mom, I just had the mental image of you disciplining pop with your katana for fouling up in training and him running away from you like a chicken. That was so funny!" she exclaimed and wiped away tears.

**  
**Nodoka's smile became wolfish. "Yes, I could imagine that husband will need the one or the other pointer, won't he? Maybe he will also loose his excess weight if he does indeed choose to run…" she mused with a grin.

**  
**Soun sent a quick prayer to Kami-sama on his old friends' behalf while Ranma barely resisted the urge to scramble away from her mother. She was wearing the same look she'd always worn when she'd ranted on about her being manly. Scary! But at least it was not projected on her. "Eh heh heh, sure, mom! Mom, I have a few questions about some promises Master Katsuhito made to you." she said. Seeing her mother's facial expression she nodded. "Yes, I know of them…"

**  
to be continued…**

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**  
**My thanks go to Rose Vaughn and HeWhoWalksTheEarth for betaing this; my stories would only be half as good without you.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have taken the time to leave a review, and my review answers can be found down below. I enjoy reading your comments, and the suggestions you all make will help to make this story even better.

If you find anything illogical that might have created a plot-hole or anything else that is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading.

**  
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**REVIEWERS RESPONSES: **

**  
Van**: Rest assured, I will write more. I'm glad that you like it, and thanks for the compliment. As for news on updates, why don't you check my yahoo group? It holds the latest news on updates and such. The link is in my homepage link.

**  
Gate**: Thanks for doing so, but as I said before, nobody forces you to read or like my story; I freely admit that I didn't own much in the way of Ranma ½ mangas in the beginning, but now I own all of them. I admit that I used a lot of clichés that are commonly accepted in fandom, but I also expanded on them and used my own ideas. If you don't like it, well, I can't please everyone.  
As to how my story acquired a good amount of reviews and if it deserves it, I don't know. I don't judge my own story, I write for the fun of it and for the betterment of my skills; therefore feedback is needed and greatly appreciated. And it's good to see that there're a lot of people out there who're willing to help me point out mistakes and who give encouragement, feedback and suggestions; I can't thank them enough for it. But thanks for giving me the web-address; it's good to have a quick and easy access handy.

**  
Ranko**: Thank you. I like to think that I did a good job on the fight, though I'm not that satisfied with it; I'll prolly make changes to it and a revision and make it harder for Ranma to win. Hope the chapter met up with expectations. And I'll try to keep it up.

**  
Rejhan**: I know what you mean. That name sucks, and its no wonder that he wants it changed. But you're right, he shouldn't take it out on Ranma. But then again, it was business as usual to do that in Nerima. However, I'd say that Ranma proved that these times are over. Glad that you liked the fight, and here's more.

**  
borg rabbit**: No prob, Wes. And thanks. Also, once more thanks for the corrections/improvements. I greatly appreciate it.

**  
mystery person**: Hmm, I suppose you're right; a bit more melee can't hurt. Will prolly do it in a revision.

**  
goldfighter**: Glad that you liked it. Here's more.

**  
Boku wa boku dayou!**: Yeah, it seemed I suffered from a spontaneous attack of word-confusion. Thanks for pointing that out.

**  
AzureSky123**: Thank you. Yeah, Ranma should have done that, but knowing Ranma's life, Taro would have ignored it later anyway…

**  
Lord Oberon**: Thanks. Glad that you liked the fight, and I hope I met up with expectations you had in this chapter. Will try to keep it up.

**  
.**: Glad you think so.

**  
trunks and goten**: Thank you, I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I liked to write the fight, but I might modify it in a rewrite and make it a bit harder for Ranma to win. But I bet you could so as good. Well, I'll try to keep it up, and here's the next.

**  
Jerry Unipeg**: Glad that you loved the chapter and the fight. And right you are, but some people are just too stubborn to learn, and when it comes to bullheadedness Taro takes the fruitcake. Though I'd like to see him getting his wish.

**  
James Axelrad**: Yeah, I haven't changed much. Only this time around I have left it open if Genma married into the Saotome clan or Nodoka, plus a few other things. And rest assured, I'll use your suggestions.

**  
TheWhiteMonk**: That he is, and I agree with your assessment. Pardon the fun, but he's just too bullheaded and obsessed with changing his name. And for exactly the reasons you mentioned his quest is illogical, and he goes off the deep end even though Ranma tried to help him several times. But you're right, it would be funny to lock Taro and Happi in a room, Taro preferably in his cursed form. If I got the time I might explore his character, if not within this story then maybe in one of my others. I'll try to keep it up.

**  
gatodepatasblancas**: As said in the mail, it might have been a temporary server error. As of now everything is accessible once more.

**  
MarshmellowDragon**: That I am. Hmm, as for the yahoo group, just use the homepage link. If you want to browse old review answers, you can read them there. Its also a discussion and newsboard.  
Good that you were just kidding. You had me worried there for a moment. :) Bob Taro just sounds… nah.  
Hmm, hope Sarki was successful and didn't get liberated of her silky darlings… uh oh, I think not even Happi would be that stupid. To have an angry female Saiyan on your tail… not good. Hmm, that gives me ideas for my other story…

**  
kzinti7**: Thank you. Its quite hard from time to time to tweak it in a way so that one group does not get pushed into the background, and I like to think I'm doing a good job.

**  
Rose Vaughn**: Thanks, Ash. And here's the next, although you had it ahead of time, as usual.

**  
Duke**: You can say that again; and we will see a real fight of Ranma against Happi were the two will go all out. The fight in Ch. 27 was merely a warm-up in which Ranma managed to surprise Happi. As for Shampoo and Mousse, IMO it only makes sense that they try to do so; hope the talk between Ranma and Shampoo was satisfying.

**  
Eric Thorsen**: Glad that you think so. And yeah, we have covered Nerima and will be returning to Okayama as of now.

**  
ss4-link**: Thanks. Hmm, Happi will be training, now that he knows how much better and stronger Ranma has become. Will try my best to keep it up.

**  
Bobboky**: Glad that you liked it. And err, I did? Hmm, can't remember… must have drunken too much coffee or something… odd. And yup, it is. :)

**  
Slade13**: Yeah, I thought it might show that fact; and you're right, I don't like it either if someone becomes impossibly strong without even having to do something for it. Power and strength has to be acquired through training, and Ranma will have to train hard, along with the others. I agree with you, Ranma wouldn't accept a power-boost if someone offered him something like that; power and strength through training or through some coincidence or accident, but otherwise, no. And without giving too much away, you got that right; it was Sasuke.

**  
Wonderbee31**: Thanks. Tenchi & co just had to see what Ranma's everyday life is like in Nerima. Yeah, Akane was like that in the series, but I think she was this way because she was jealous of the others. And she also feared that Ranma could give in to them, at least IMO. But both are to blame, as both were just too stubborn, prideful and insecure to admit their love. Though IMO a relationship between the two would not have ended well; one of the most important things in a relationship beside the necessary mutual attraction and love is trust. And Akane never trusted Ranma.  
What I greatly disliked that she seemed to think that Ranma deserved all the bad things that happened to him. Ranma is just a too-good-for-this-world guy with an unusual talent of attracting trouble. But yet everyone, including Akane blamed him for everything. Too sad.

**  
JohnnyG**: Glad that you liked it. As for Kasumi, that will be some more chapters seeing as a lot is going to happen in the next few days/chapters. But rest assured, I'll try to hurry it up as well try to keep it up.

**  
Martrex**: Thank you. One tends to overlook Taro as he only appeared so seldom in the manga, but when he did… hoh boy. As for some decent injuries for those who won't lay off, I'll see what I can do.

**  
Silverscale**: Thanks. Damn, now that's really bad luck. I hope your wrist heals fast. I know how irritating it is not to be able to write as much as you want; I was in a similar situation some months ago. Jet my wrist was only cracked at that time…


	30. Reasons

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
**I know it took me a while, and I apologise for the long wait. My inspiration had been very fleeting in regards of this story, and thus I concentrated on the stories my muse favoured. But now it has returned to this story, and I'm optimistic that it's here to stay.

Happy holidays to everyone.

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**────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
Chapter 30: Reasons **

**  
**To say that Soun was curious would have been an understatement. He had only recently learned that this Katsuhito was the old sensei of Nodoka but he'd had no idea that he'd made any promises to her. Intriguing. Gauging from Nodoka's facial expression she was not too happy with where the conversation was headed but he could also see the resolve in her to talk about it.

**  
**Soun could see how Nodoka steeled herself, and the Saotome matriarch nodded finally towards her daughter. "So my old master told you." she said. It was a statement and no question thus Ranma only nodded. "I feared that he would but that was well within his rights. He was entitled to should you ever meet him on your own. I figure he told you my complete background?" she asked her daughter.

**  
**Ranma nodded. "That he did. You know, mom, he's really proud of you. The only thing he did not like was…"

**  
**"Me marrying your father, dear. I know. He never approved of Genma and in hindsight in can see where he was coming from. But I loved your stupid father, and I still do." Nodoka said.

**  
**Soun who had no idea about any of this asked up. "Nodoka, I hope you don't mind but could you please enlighten me? Genma never said anything about your master and I only recently learned his name from you. When did you learn under him? And which style?"

**  
**Nodoka sighed. She never liked to talk about her past but Soun as a close friend deserved to know. After all, their families would be joined through marriage at one point in the future, and besides Soun had proven in the past weeks that he was trustworthy.

**  
**In the following minutes Nodoka launched herself into a complete recount of how she had met Katsuhito, her training and everything else. Not much later Nodoka explained the promises she had wrenched from her sensei. "When I met Genma Master Katsuhito did not approve of him in the slightest. Yet I fell in love with your father, Ranma, and my heart would not be swayed. However, my master tried to convince me many times to forget Genma and find someone better. Katsuhito was always like a father to me and looked out for me; I know he was concerned back then but I was convinced that I had found the man of my life. Your father was very strong and honourable back then," she said with gleaming eyes and Ranma asked herself if her pop had ever been what her mother described here, "before he underwent that dreadful training under his master."

**  
**At this Soun nodded sagely. "It was more than dreadful, Nodoka, oh so much more. Even till this day I shudder to remember the weeks and months of torture the master put us through. But your mother is right, my old friend Genma _was_ once honourable. Sadly the master trained him too well and drove those traits out…" he sighed.

**  
**A gleam appeared in Nodoka's eyes. "That's also why I'm reeducating him. I gave him several months to change his behaviour yet he had failed to see the error of his ways; now _I_ change his ways for him and show him that his masters' lessons are wrong. Honestly the views of women he has… but I'm getting off-topic." she said and took a sip from her tea.

**  
**Placing her cup onto the table Nodoka continued. "The first promise I wrenched from Master Katsuhito was that he'd never harm Genma unless he, Genma, should attack first. This was due to the fact that Genma behaved quite stupidly in front of my old sensei on more than one occasion. Fool that he is your father claimed that everyone fighting with a weapon is weak. Normally Master Katsuhito is an even-tempered man but as you well know, your father has a knack of making enemies out of people, and unsurprisingly he succeeded even with Katsuhito."

**  
**"No surprise there." Ranma snorted.

**  
**Nodoka smiled. "Not really, dear. As a matter of fact, I barely kept him from slicing Genma to bits, and that on several occasions. Finally I managed to convince my old sensei that he was just misguided and did not intent any real disrespect; because sensei had a weak spot for me he gave me the promise not to harm Genma. That did however not include knocking him out should he get too annoying; and believe me that Katsuhito did just that on several occasions." she said with a sad smile as Nodoka seemed to remember these incidents.

**  
**Ranma hid a smile as she heard of her father's antics, but she was only partially successful. "Still the same old pops. I'm a bit glad that I obviously did not inherit too much from him, mom. And thanks to my love I've realised that a lot of pops teachings are utter rubbish. So if he's got something to teach me and it´s just plain stupid I'll just ignore him."

**  
**The Saotome matriarch smiled sadly. "It really seems to be the only practical course, daughter. Before he can teach anyone anything _he_ has to be taught first. But I believe our lessons are slowly taking effect." she said with a wolfish grin.

**  
**Her daughter smiled. "I'd love to see that! And I really do hope that pops will come to realise that women are not inferior. I have." she said sincerely. "Is he as hard to convince as I think he is?"

**  
**Her mother smiled while she fingered her ever present katana; the sharp sword was resting in a scabbard and was leant against the sofa. "You can say that, daughter. Sadly your father is not so easy to convince as I'd like and some of the lessons of his master seem to be deeply ingrained. For example, he still sprouts his phrases that women are weak and stupid and how they should just do the cooking and give birth to children and be done with it. Thus you can imagine, that husband must be made to see the error of his ways. It's just for his best."

**  
**Ranma grinned wolfishly, mirroring the expression her mother had earlier. "Oh yeah, pops needs that and loads of reminders. He's got a thick skull. Especially when he's a panda and pretends to understand nothing. But a good bop to the head or a trip into the pond usually help. Phew, to say that girls are weak, stupid and useless… I'm one at the moment and I'm anything but!" she exclaimed with conviction.

**  
**Soun who had not said a word for nearly two minutes watched silently and nodded to himself. Ranma had really proven herself worthy, and she had managed something Genma and he could only dream of; she had managed to defeat the master and Taro in one day! It would indeed be a proud day when he could call Ranma as well his son-in-law as his daughter-in-law. Now through the curse of his oldest child and what Elder Cologne had said he had finally accepted that these curses were for keeps. He'd also get a daughter-in-law out of a marriage, and he was sure that he'd not be able to get a finer one. Regardless what Genma would say, Ranma had his full support.

**  
**With a smile the Tendo patriarch watched as Nodoka placed her cup of tea on the table in front of her, got up and walked over to her daughter where she sat down again. The Saotome matriarch looked her daughter in the eyes and smiled. "I know, daughter. I can't say how proud I am that you managed to defeat Master Happosai and this Taro person. You're so strong and honourable, and I could not have asked for a better child!" she exclaimed and pulled a surprised but pleased Ranma into a hug.

**  
**Nodoka ruffled her childs' hair. "Never forget that you're as much my daughter as my son and that I love you regardless of the form, my child. What your father says does not matter; he made too many mistakes with you, and has no say in your further upbringing except for martial arts. And even there he won't have a carte blanche, my daughter, seeing what he did to you with the Neko-ken." she finished and growled out the last words.

**  
**Ranma's smile had progressively turned sad as her mother had went on. She was very happy that her mother had finally accepted her completely, for it made it so much easier for her to accept herself, but what she'd said about pops saddened her despite the fact that it was true.

**  
**She strengthened the hug but was careful not to apply too much pressure lest to hurt her mother. "Thanks, mom. You've got no idea what that means to me." she said as her mother continued to stroke her hair. "And you're right with stupid pops. But please don't be too hard on him. Sometimes I believe that he only taught what _he_ had been taught by his own father. That showing emotions is weak. Sure, the Neko-ken was the most stupid idea pops ever had, but I love the old fool. I see the need that he never teaches me or my future children anything dangerous ever again, but it can't hurt if he teaches those moves that are harmless. With our supervision, of course."

**  
**Nodoka stopped stroking her hair and leant backwards to look her daughter into the eye. "You mean that, daughter, don't you?" she asked while trying to hide her glee at the mentioning of future children. So her daughter had already thought about it! Great! Nodoka barely stopped herself from doing a victory dance. Grandchildren! Gathering her bearings so as not to look suspicious she concentrated on Ranma's answer.

**  
**And her daughter nodded, completely oblivious to what was going on in her mothers´ mind. "Yes. If pops loves one thing than it's to teach. Usually he's quite good at it, but on our training trip he got, err, carried away a few times. If he should ever teach children he'd need supervision, but I think you'd be happy to provide it, won't you, mom?" she asked with a smile.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch nodded slowly. "I'm the wife of a martial artist after all, and considering what he did in the past he'll need a lot of supervision if he ever wants to teach children. Soun, what do you say to the idea that I'll supervise the future training in the dojo? I'm not sure Genma can stop himself from doing a few stupid things. Husband just has a knack for that."

**  
**Soun nodded. "It's a good idea, Nodoka. From what I've seen in the past months you manage to, err, correct his behaviour quite admirerably. Yes, your presence in the training hall would be a great help." he concluded.

**  
**Nodoka smiled in answer. "Thank you, Soun. You know how to compliment a lady."

**  
**The Tendo patriarch sputtered and Ranma shook her head at her mothers antics. "Moooom! Stop embarrassing poor Mr. Tendo! Rather tell him what the second promise was."

**  
**Nodoka sighed. "Right, dear." she said and made herself comfortable beside her daughter after she'd retrieved her cup of tea. "The second promise I managed to wrench from my sensei was that he'd not teach his family art to my child should Ranma ever meet him; he'd also never try to exert any influence on my child's life per this promise. However, he managed to convince me that the final decision of this should be up to you, my child. Thus we included a clause, that should you ever meet him and ask him yourself he could do so if he so decided."

**  
**Soun who had gathered his bearings looked oddly at Nodoka. "But why, Nodoka? It is the goal of a martial artist to learn as many techniques as possible, in order to be able to help the weak. What was your reason for this?" he asked curiously without even a hint of accusation.

**  
**Ranma, who already knew the reasons leant back and listened to someone else beside her. She heard her mother sigh. "Soun, you as a father know that parents tend to look out for the best for their children. I admit that I failed many times at that. Yet with this decision I believed that I could spare my child from having to make a decision of life or death. The family style of Master Katsuhito is an Art of War, and there're few styles out there that are deadlier. My son at that time was already learning from his father in an Art of War, for if you're truthful to yourself the Anything Goes Style is nothing else but an Art of War." she said with a sigh and paused to sip from her coffee.

**  
**"If it had been for me, Ranma, you'd never have learned martial arts at all. Yet you were the only heir to the Saotome school, thus I could do nothing against it. But I had the choice regarding my masters' family style, and had you not decided to make this trip to your old friend Tenchi, you might have never known. Know that I only kept this from you, my child, because I never wanted that you'd have to kill someone. I love you, my child, and I hope you can forgive your mother."

**  
**Her daughter, who knew all of this already, smiled and rested her forehead against that of her mother before she pulled her into a tight embrace. "I know you only wanted the best for me, mom. But now I'm old enough to make my own decisions; yet I don't know if I want to learn master Katsuhito's family style, but I'm giving it some serious thought. I appreciate what you had in mind, mom, but due to that fight with that Android everything has changed." pain flashed over her face and she paused for a moment to gather her bearings.

**  
**"I know that I have to rethink a lot. I can't allow that something like that happens again, and if I have more techniques at my disposal the next time something like that happens, I might be able to protect everyone better. I have been forced to kill on two occasions already, and although I hated it beyond belief and it made my stomach turn I now know that I had no other choice but to do what I did. I had to save my loved ones. In hindsight I'd always do it the same way again. I'd always kill Saffron again to save Akane, and everyone else and I'd always destroy that Android to avenge my love, for I had no other choice." she said.

**  
**Nodoka held her daughter tight, and she noticed that tears were streaming down her face; yet Nodoka did nothing to hide them. She was not ashamed of them and when she pulled back and looked into her daughters' face she noticed that Ranma's eyes were glistening too. Now knowing everything about the upbringing her child had had she was glad that her daughter _could_ express herself so much better now.

**  
**A month ago Ranma would have denied at the top of her lungs that she, the great martial artist, was crying. Her daughter had changed and was slowly becoming more; now if only her son would be able to express himself just as good… but that was a matter for another time.

**  
**Now all that counted was to help her daughter to unfold herself, to live life to the fullest. She should simply enjoy being a girl for a time, yet it seemed that the craziness that permeated her life was making that difficult, even here. "You have changed, my child." Nodoka said finally and she noticed that Ranma watched her with rapt attention. With a smile the Saotome matriarch added "And all for the better. I know how hard it must have been to kill this Saffron, but you did what you had to do. You would never take a life needlessly, my child and you have proven time and time again that you're a person of high moral standards, and the most honourable fighter I know. I'm proud of you, Ranma, and I'll support you in whatever you decide. As long as its honourable." she added with a slight smile.

**  
**With a smile on their faces mother and daughter hugged yet again. "Thanks, mom. That means a lot to me. Gah, look at me, the big bad martial artist all moved to tears like a girl." she said with a hint of self-irony.

**  
**Nodoka punched her arm in jest with her right hand while still holding Ranma close with her left arm. "But that's what you are, dear, and I'm happy to have you as my daughter. Before I always tried to push you to be manly because of that stupid contract and my views on how you had to be, yet I overlooked that I destroyed your happiness by forcing you to act manly despite your gender. A girl, and that is what you are in this body, should not be forced to act manly. I understand that it's probably hard for you, but from now on and ever you'll always be as much my daughter as my son. I love both sides of you, my child." she said and reestablished the hug which Ranma returned with a bright smile and equal strength.

**  
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**  
**Soun on his part sat on his sofa and smiled. He knew that this talk had evolved into a full-blown mother-daughter-talk and thus wisely kept out of it. Yet just listening to it taught him a lot. They had indeed handled Ranma completely wrong. Instead of listening to Genma and treating Ranma as a man despite the gender they should have tried to help Ranma to accept the curse, treating the Saotome youth according to the present gender.

**  
**They, and especially he had made a lot of mistakes in the past, and he vowed that he'd not repeat them in the future. He'd also treat Kasumi according to the gender she was in, that he vowed to himself. This epiphany also made him realise the trap that was the curse of his oldest child: it was so easy to give in to the temptation and treat Kasumi exclusively as his son. But that would mean neglecting the half of his child she had been for over twenty years.

**  
**The Tendo patriarch nodded to himself in a determined way, and he was sure that Nodoka saw it from where she was sitting. Yet he did not care as he hang to his own thoughts; he'd try to help the children to find equilibrium, a balance between their two halves. It would be ideal if they'd be brought into the situation where they could just switch between male and female at the drop of some water without caring about it. And that thought made him realise the cleverness of Nodoka and Cologne; for this had to be what they had had in mind when they'd suggested the trip!

**  
**Yes, he could see why they had suggested this trip away from Nerima, and most of all them, the fathers. _He_ himself had come to the realisation what was needed to make the children get used to their curses, and that they really had to live some months in these forms; but he doubted that Genma ever would. His old friend had been too fixated on drilling manliness into Ranma for a too long amount of time.

**  
**Soun did not know if Genma would really have had abided by the wording of the contract, but as far as he knew Genma had done everything to make Ranma the manliest man for almost eleven years! Trying to force Ranma to act manly had become a second nature to Genma and with him around the whole enterprise would have been doomed to fail. Now the Tendo patriarch could appreciate the intents behind it fully; only with their children coming completely to terms with their curses they'd be able to use the full potential given to them. Without that acceptance they'd always be only half of what they could be.

**  
**For example, Soun had seen a caring side at Ranma that he had never seen in her before. It was as if she was slowly evolving into something more the more she accepted the growing female side as a part of her. He had seen the deep love in the eyes of Nodoka's daughter for his child, and he was sure that this love was meant to be forever.

**  
**Which was yet another reason why Genma had to be kept in the dark. With his harpings about how showing emotions was weak he could easily destroy or at least endanger the progress their children had obviously made. This thought also brought another epiphany for Soun; in the past Genma and he had not cared about the feelings of their children, at that time Ranma and Akane. He had accepted Genma's views how showing emotions was weak, yet at the same time they had expected Ranma and Akane to get along.

**  
**But how should that have been possible if Ranma had been taught his whole life that showing emotions was weak? Considering that and his daughters more… unsightly character traits the relationship between Ranma and Akane had been doomed, nearly from the start.

**  
**This time they'd make it better. He'd leave it to Ranma and Kasumi aka Yoshiro to set the pace for their relationship; this decision had been reaffirmed today by what he had learned. By letting it develop naturally without any pressure or force they might get much better results in the future.

**  
**The results were already very promising and the great goal which was still vivid in the back of his head, the joining of the schools seemed attainable. Yet this goal paled in comparison to what the Tendo patriarch wished for the two: happiness.

**  
**────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
**Nodoka on her part was having very similar thoughts as she held her daughter. However, her plans for Genma were more focused than Soun's. She liked Ranma's idea of keeping her husband busy very much, but she'd also an additional plan to keep him busy. And if this scientist that was living here was indeed as good as her daughter claimed, she might even have the chance to fulfil a personal dream of hers. Yes, she'd have to set her plan into motion.

**  
**Smiling at how everything was turning out Nodoka wondered to herself how long it would take for her to be a grandmother. She had to admit to herself that she even had stopped caring about who would be the manly party in the relationship her child and the child of Soun shared. Ranma was her daughter as much as her son, and who knew, maybe she one time decided to give her love children? Or it might just happen the other way around. Who knew what the future held? And in all honesty, she'd stopped caring, for she was sure that she'd get grandchildren in the end one way or the other. Was waiting a bit longer such a bad thing, if it brought happiness for her child? No, of course not.

**  
**Nodoka marvelled inwardly at her own change in attitude, but she realised that it brought about a lot more options; and most of all it made her child a lot happier. And was that not what parents should strive for? To ensure their children a happy and safe life?

**  
**Ranma had missed out on that a lot, and it was high time that that changed. But one thing remained. "Daughter, please do never try and keep the stupid things your father did from me. I know you want to protect him because you love him. I do too, and why only Kami-sama knows, but what your father did to you in training was foolish and dangerous. The Neko-ken alone warranted a severe punishment, and I'm sure you know that the foolishness of your fathers' actions have to be undone. I don't want my daughter to go insane every time she sees a cat."

**  
**"Very true words, Nodoka." a voice said from a newly created door, and three heads whipped towards the source of said voice.

**  
**"Grandpa!" Ranma exclaimed, and Nodoka, who looked surprised for a moment stood up and bowed her head. "Sensei." she greeted Katsuhito formally.

**  
**Katsuhito bowed back and subsequently did the polite thing, for he exchanged pleasantries with Soun as the guest of the house first; the Tendo patriarch knew that they'd have time to talk at a later point in time, because right now it was clear that the older man longed to talk with Nodoka.

**  
**The old Shinto Priest walked towards the Saotome matriarch under the watchful eyes of Soun and Ranma. His face was an expressionless mask, but his eyes held a glimmer that showed how much he cared for Nodoka. Once he had reached Ranma's mother he put his right hand under her chin and lifted her head up. "Hello, No-chan. There is no need to be ashamed, but now you see why I wanted to prevent that Genma courted you. I foresaw his foolish and unthinking acts, for I have seen many like him in my long life. Yet he did one thing right in his life," here he smiled at Ranma who smiled right back, "and that outweighs the unintentional bad things he has done in his life."

**  
**"Hey, pop is not so bad. Sure, he's an idiot, but he'd never intentionally harm anyone. He can be a really good sensei… if he does not get carried away." Ranma said from her place on the sofa.

**  
**Nodoka smiled at her child, and she sat down beside her daughter while Katsuhito seated himself beside Soun. Ranma loved her father, and even though she did not know if Genma deserved this love, she _did_ love the fool; the same was true for her. For some reason she loved the fool, but from now on she'd do her utmost to repair the damage her husband had done to their child; and she would set all hell in motion to prevent him from doing something stupid to their future grandchildren. She had already failed Ranma, but she swore here and now to herself and on her honour that Genma would not be allowed near their future grandchildren without supervision.

**  
**Katsuhito on his part nodded thoughtful. "I agree with you that he would not harm anyone intentionally, aside from the thieving and stealing he engaged in. Yes, I know of his past; little Washu was most helpful in that regard. The thievings he committed were nearly all minor cases, peccadilloes one could say, except for one case, the Kuonjis. But I know how strong love can be, and it is good to see that you two still love him after everything Genma has done. I, personally, would have hunted him to the end of the world. And I will do that should he ever turn up here."

**  
**Soun gulped, but if one saw it that way Katsuhito was right; Genma _had_ done many questionable things on his training journey, and if he was honest to himself, it was a small wonder, no, make that a big one, that Ranma had turned out as well as he/she had. "My old friend Genma rarely stopped to think before he acted; this has always been his greatest fault, and sadly this has not changed much. I don't want to justify what he did, but maybe you will understand why Genma did what he did."

**  
**The Tendo patriarch took a sip from his coffee and sighed. "Since Ranma had been born Genma had been filled with the ambition to make his only son and heir into the best martial artist ever. You all know this. What you don't know is that Genma had planned this for Ranma and my heiress so that they would be worthy heirs to the complete Anything Goes style; we had just incarcerated the Master a few years ago and believed him dead. Genma and I both knew that we were not good enough to succeed the Master, and thus the plan was formed to unite the schools."

**  
**"The joining of the schools." Ranma muttered. "Bah! If you two hadn't been so hung up on that, and hadn't pressured me and Akane at each and every occasion things might have gone differently. Not that I mind the outcome one bit."

**  
**Soun sighed. "I know, Ranma, and I apologise. Be it as it is, Genma was to train Ranma here in his branch of the Anything Goes style and incorporate everything they encountered on their training journey, and I was to train my heiress in the Tendo style. After the training was complete our heirs should meet and make good on the promise to join the schools. But sadly my Kimiko had died two years after Ranma and Genma went on the trip, and you, Nodoka and Ranma, know what happened. I fell into a state of depression and was unable to teach Akane, my heiress. In the end everything we had planned fell apart, but maybe you can now understand why we did what we did. We both wanted worthy heirs, and these heirs should join the schools through marriage. Ideally you should have taught your future children the complete Anything Goes style, but that will now not come to pass."

**  
'I'm not so sure on that part, but that's for me to know and for you to guess.'** Ranma thought mirthfully. Suddenly her eyes lit up as a thought hit her. "Mr. Tendo, do you still have the scrolls of the Tendo school?"

**  
**"Why yes, Ranma. Why do you ask?"

**  
**Katsuhito and Nodoka smiled amusedly. Both knew were this was leading. The old Shinto priest because he had come to know Ranma as an individual with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and Nodoka, well, because she knew her child.

**  
**Ranma smiled. "Because I could learn those scrolls! I'll need these techniques anyway when I want to challenge Happosai for the title of grandmaster of the Anything Goes."

**  
**"Isn't that rather grandmistress now, granddaughter?" an amused Katsuhito teased.

**  
**"Oh you!" Ranma exclaimed, and bopped him playfully on the arm.

**  
**Nodoka had followed this exchange with interest and she vowed to have a long talk with her old master as soon as possible. It seemed as if he had done a lot for her child.

**  
**Soun on his part had needed a few moments to gather himself again; this joyous message had thrown him somewhat off-track. "You… you really want to challenge the master, Ranma?"

**  
**The redhead nodded. "Yes. Once I have prepared myself sufficiently I _will_ challenge him. But I have no illusions that it's gonna be as easy as last time. I caught the old lech by surprise, and he won't underestimate me again."

**  
**The Tendo patriarch nodded. "You're right to be cautious. The master is a fearsome fighter. In order to be able to deal with everything he has up his sleeve you will indeed need to know every move of the Anything Goes of which Genma and I know. Ranma, I will give the Tendo scrolls to you, even the Tendo secret techniques. You have proven yourself worthy to learn them."

**  
**Ranma was surprised for a moment, then she bowed formally. "Thank you, Mr. Tendo. I will not disappoint you."

**  
**Soun nodded from his place across the redhead. "I know that, Ranma." he said with a smile. "I will get the scrolls first thing tomorrow. Knowing you, you won't need more than to take a look at the scrolls to learn those techniques."

**  
**The Saotome girl blushed. "Aww, I ain't that good, Mr. Tendo."

**  
**"Don't sell yourself short, Ranma. I've seen you learn techniques in a time I would have thought impossible. If anyone can learn the scrolls, then it's you." Soun said with confidence.

**  
**"Actually I'd like to interject something, seeing as I witnessed this remarkable process myself." said Katsuhito. The others looked at him, curious. "I saw it when you used your ability to fly to beat the Android. Something happened to your aura, and ever since then I have pondered what it was. I have a hunch, but I'd need to conduct a deep scan of your aura to be sure."

**  
**Ranma thought for a moment, then she nodded. If there was anything strange with her aura she wanted to know. "Do it, grandfather. Whenever you are ready, for this I gotta know!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Katsuhito smiled. "We can begin immediately. I have already begun with the mental exercises needed for the scan in anticipation of your answer." he said and got up. "It would be best if you could lay down on one of the couches. I need your body to be as relaxed as possible, granddaughter."

**  
**The redhead nodded, and Soun and Nodoka moved to the other sofa to allow Ranma the space she needed. Once the redhead had laid down Katsuhito bended forwards and held both hands over Ranma's body. Soon they'd know if the old Shinto Priest had been right about his hunch…

**  
**────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
**Katsuhito had his eyes closed, and his brows furrowed in concentration. A pale-blue glow enveloped the old man, and during the scan which lasted several minutes a sheen of sweat formed on his forehead.

**  
**Finally Katsuhito opened his eyes again; Ranma opened her own eyes little later, curiosity immediately visible on her face. "What is it, grandfather? What did you find out?"

**  
**The old man sighed and sat down beside Ranma. "This is a lot more complex than I initially thought, granddaughter. Your aura shows several anomalies. For one, your father had actually _succeeded_ in making you a man among man. Your ki was seriously misbalanced; there was an excess of yang in your ki that would have been suffice for two men. You always attracted a lot of female attention, did you not? That was because of this misbalance. Your overmasculinity was practically a Sirens call for the female half of the population."

**  
**Ranma nodded, quite obviously struggling to understand the consequences. "Oh. But what do you mean with 'was misbalanced'?"

**  
**Katsuhito smiled. "Your ki has begun to balance itself out again. You must know, granddaughter, normally yin and yang are in a balance. But apparently Genma had succeeded in driving your yin so much out of you that your ki became misbalanced. Had you not become cursed the consequences might have been severe."

**  
**"How so?" asked Nodoka, beating her daughter to the punch.

**  
**"Several symptoms, No-chan. First, a person with an excess of yang is bound to act highly aggressive and often makes fast, unconcentrated movements; its probably only due to the curse and your... restraint that you haven´t snapped, Ranma. But the lack in concentration alone can be very costly for a martial artist. Add to it that the whole body runs practically in hyperdrive due to the misbalance, and this is also why you need to eat and drink so much more than even your growing powers would warrant. Have you ever had a cold?" he asked out of the blue.

**  
**Ranma was stumped for a moment. "Err, there was this one time when I had a high fever. But that was because of some stupid virus I had caught thanks to Happosai. And don't you dare appear, devil, or I'll trample you into the ground!" she exclaimed temperamentally.

**  
**The others sweatdropped. Katsuhito finally nodded to himself; then he took one of Ranma's hands into his own. "As I thought. Still hot, but better than before, I imagine."

**  
**Seeing the questioning looks he elaborated. "Ranma was suffering from a rather severe case of excess of Yang, e.g., when excess heat consumes body fluids it leads to dryness or even heat. This is an excess heat condition which is often accompanied by a fever that can turn very nasty. Very unhealthy and dangerous in the long run. But now yin and yang are balancing each other out again due to your acceptance of your dual nature, in fact you will probably reach equilibrium of both yin and yang in a few months."

**  
**"See, daughter, I was right when I said that it was Fate that you were cursed to become a girl. It might even have saved your life."

**  
**Ranma nodded, nonplussed. Her life had made a turn for the strange yet again, but by now she was so used to it that she took it in stride. "I see. But there's something else, isn't there?"

**  
**Katsuhito looked her in the eyes and nodded. "Yes. And this is not so easily dealt with. I have no idea where you acquired it, but you're suffering from the worst case of congeries induerens I have ever witnessed. I have no idea if it could be a side effect of your talent to learn new things at a moments notice, but the conclusion suggests itself."

**  
**"Wha… wha… what? What is that conwhatzit thingie?" asked a decidedly confused Ranma.

**  
**"It's a condition I do not wish upon my worst enemy, Ranma." little Washus' voice came from yet another door. The genius scientist walked over towards where Ranma and Katsuhito were sitting.

**  
**Nodding into the round the redheaded scientist sat down beside the younger redheaded girl. "Congeries induerens literally means chaos attraction. You, Ranma, are the living embodiment of the chaos theory; that is something I agree upon with Yosho. Everything becomes random around you, and the laws of probability cease to be of importance. I have no idea how anyone managed to do that to you, but if we ever find the culprit I'll sock him or her a good one. Its no wonder that everything went so completely wrong in your life."

**  
**"How do we remedy it?" a worried Nodoka asked immediately.

**  
**"There is only one way, and we'll need some time to prepare. The only thing I can promise is that we'll try our utmost to help you, Ranma." Washu said.

**  
**"Thank you, Washu-chan." Ranma said and hugged the other redhead.

**  
**"You're welcome, Ranma. Ahem, I have important things to do, preparations to make, and you, o Yosho, will assist me."

**  
**What Washu had said carried the meaning that Washu viewed Ranma as one of the family, and a knowing Shinto priest smiled. Sooner or later anyone fell for the subtle charm his new granddaughter exuded, else they were dead-set on killing her right from the start. But maybe they could change this too. And he knew exactly who could help. Tsunami.

**  
**The old warrior felt his stomach turn into knots however when what Washu had said caught up with him. He got up dejectedly , but moments later determination settled in. And if Washu turned him into something that could be squashed, he would ensure that Ranma got rid of the congeries induerens! "Coming, Lil' Washu. I bid you a good night, No-chan, Mr. Tendo, granddaughter."

**  
**Nodoka and Ranma were both sad that they had to leave already, especially Nodoka who would have loved to have a long talk with her sensei; but she mused that she'd have enough opportunities at a later date. Maybe tomorrow…

**  
**Soun on his part wished Katsuhito and Washu success in their preparations, and the old Shinto priest acknowledged this with a nod before he and Washu disappeared through one of the doors.

**  
**────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
**Ranma on her part had enjoyed the talk with Katsuhito, Soun and her mother seeing as she had learned a lot of things. What she had learned about her aura had been unsettling, but she hoped that Washu-chan and her grandfather would be able to help her. It was oddly comforting to know that she had not been responsible for the chaos that had permeated her life. To be honest, she could really do with a little less chaos in her life. Okay, make that lots less. And settling down with her love sounded nice.

**  
**Right now she was just enjoying being together with her mother; she would have enjoyed it even more had it not been for this queasy feeling that she'd had for some time now. It had begun yesterday, but during the fight with the Android and throughout the adjacent fights she'd been able to ignore it quite well.

**  
**Now it was back and seemingly with even greater force. Inwardly she asked herself if she was coming down with something, for she swore she could feel the beginning of cramps. She also felt more fatigued than she should have, even taking the fights into account. **'Bah, have probably just not eaten enough.'** she dismissed it.

**  
**Sensing that they'd poured out their hearts to each other Ranma decided that it was time to get settled in for the night. It had been a really long day and she was tired and very worn out. She looked at her mother. "Mom, I'm really wiped out and I'd like to call it a night. That okay with you two?" she asked.

**  
**Soun and Nodoka looked at each other and back at Ranma as they nodded their heads. "To be honest, I'm quite tired myself, daughter. So go ahead. I'll join you soon." she said with a smile to which Soun nodded his consent.

**  
**Confident that Washu would hear her she exclaimed, "Washu-chan, I hate to interrupt you, but could you please join us for a moment?" she asked to the room.

**  
**Few seconds later a door appeared on the wall and the redheaded scientist stepped through. "You called?" she asked with a mock-curtsy.

**  
**Ranma smiled. "That I did, Washu-chan. Could you please make us a door to the upper floor? We're all quite tired and want to call it a night."

**  
**Little Washu nodded and pressed a button on her door-maker. Instantly yet another door appeared right beside the one little Washu had used to enter the r&r-section of her lab. Soun and Nodoka were still unused to such feats and closed their open mouths with a click once they realised that they looked stupid. "Here you go. Was that all you needed?"

**  
**Ranma just smiled at their reactions, knowing that she must have looked the same when little Washu had done that to her the first time. Then she nodded to Washu. "Yes, Washu-chan. Thank you. Oh, one thing… could you rearrange my room, you know, make it doubly in size and place another four-poster in it? Mom will be joining me in my room." she said, a bit embarrassed.

**  
**The redheaded genius simply nodded. "Of course, Ranma. If that would be all, I have to attend to my preparations."

**  
**However her mother had other plans as to let little Washu return to whatever preparations she was making, as she remembered that she _had_ something to ask. "Actually…" she said, standing up, "I have something to ask, Washu-chan. If you could spare the time, that is. Is there some place where we can talk in private?" she asked to the puzzlement of Soun and Ranma.

**  
**If little Washu was surprised she did not show it. The diminutive scientist just inclined her head. "I can spare the time, Saotome-san. I'm sure Yosho knows what he has to do. If you'd follow me…" she said and pushed yet another button on her door-maker.

**  
**Unsurprisingly another door appeared on the far wall and Nodoka smiled at her daughter. "It won't take long, dear. You go ahead and show Soun his room for the night. I'll follow shortly." she said and disappeared with little Washu through the door.

**  
**Ranma nodded while she asked herself what her mother could want of Washu. Shrugging to herself she got up. If her mother decided so she'd let her know soon enough. "Sure, mom. Mr. Tendo, if you'd follow me…"

**  
**Soun got up and nodded. "Of course, Ranma. But its time you stopped calling me Mr. Tendo. Just call me Soun; you've earned my respect more than enough."

**  
**The Saotome girl blushed and then smiled. "It would be my honour, Mr… Soun." she corrected herself with a sheepish smile. "This will need some getting used to…" she muttered to herself.

**  
**The Tendo patriarch smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Believe me, I know what you mean. To address you as _Ránma_ needs some getting used to, too. But know that I accept you as much as the daughter of my best friend as his son. I made many mistakes in the past concerning you, Ranma, and I want to apologise for it." he said and bowed.

**  
**Ranma marvelled once more at the changes Soun Tendo had undergone since she'd seen him last. He seemed like a changed man, and changed for the better. If one could buy the stuff that had caused the change she'd be happy to donate a large quantity of it to her father. "Apology accepted if you accept mine." she said with a smile before she turned serious. "I know I did a lot of foolish things in the past because of my macho pride. Had I not always been so hell-bent of proving to anyone just how manly I am, things might have, no, would have gone better. However I believe that a relationship with Akane had no future. We are just too much alike, pride and all." she finished.

**  
**Soun felt hard pressed not to erupt into a demon-head, but he had to admit that Ranma was right. He sighed. "I slowly realise that it was a mistake to force you and Akane together. Neither you nor Akane were prepared for a marriage, and even the ceremony we tried to push you through would not have changed that fact. You went through much together, but it was apparently just not meant to be. Don't worry," he said with a slight smile, "I'm not mad at you. Rather I am happy for my oldest child that she found the love she deserved so much. And I promise on my honour as a martial artist that I will neither push the two of you to marry nor will I allow Genma to do anything stupid." he said solemnly.

**  
**The redhead was nearly awed at the change in Soun. "Th… thanks, Soun. I appreciate it. Sadly pops is neither known for thinking things through nor for his patience, and if he'd learn any of what you know he'd start pressuring us as soon as we'd get back to Nerima. Sure, I could probably clobber him to the moon and back but he'd still not let up." she said and sighed. "I _want_ that this works out, more than anything in the world. I love Kasumi, both forms of her so much that I have the feeling that I'll burst to bits at any given moment. I'm sure you know what I mean." she finished with a smile, that soon turned forced as she was suddenly assaulted by a strange... twitch from somewhere within her body.

**  
**The Tendo patriarch nodded with a wistful smile, oblivious to the redheads' discomfort. "Yes, Ranma. I know exactly what you mean for it was the same for me with my wife." he said. Then he visibly gathered himself and embraced a surprised redhead in a hug. "I'm glad that you found what you deserve and I'll do my utmost to help you along the way. But first before you return home enjoy your vacation. Its time you got a real one, Ranma." he said with a real smile.

**  
**Ranma smiled at the older man. "I'm glad too, Soun. Kasumi is all that I ever wished for in a partner and much more. He has helped me to accept myself better and is so caring and understanding and so much more. I know that I can lean into him for support if I need it and know that he'll be my firm rock in the surge, but I also know that she can lean as much into me for support. It's hard to describe, but with Kasumi I feel whole. That's also why I lost it when I thought I had lost him. I can't be without Kasumi any more, and I seriously don't know how I could ever be. I love Kasumi so much."

**  
**Soun smiled, happy that a troubled young individual had finally found his/her luck with one of his children. Over the past months he had realised, that Ranma did not deserve what had happened to him/her over the past year. To get constantly blamed for everything bad that happened around him/her had surely been unfair and very taxing, to put it mildly. "I'm glad Ranma, I'm glad for the two of you. How about you show me my room for the night now?" he asked, still smiling.

**  
**The redhead nodded and ignored a sudden, even stronger twitch in her abdomen. With a somewhat forced smile because of her discomfort she motioned Soun to follow her and began walking towards the door. She opened it and stepped through, Soun following on her heels. As she had expected she exited on the first floor and stepped aside so that Soun could exit properly. She mused, that the vortex kept the 'traveller' on hold should the exit of the door be blocked, and once she'd made way Soun came out of the door immediately.

**  
**Ranma smiled at the awed look Soun had on his face, for it had been the same with her in face of little Washu's inventions. The fellow redhead was awesome, and it seemed as if there was nothing the diminutive scientist could not do. While she walked with Soun towards one of the guest room she idly wondered what her mother was doing at present…

**  
**────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
**Nodoka Saotome on her part was currently sitting in a chair in the medical wing of the lab, facing little Washu. The two women were deep in talk. "…so you see, my child told me that you're the worlds best scientist, and I figured if anyone could help me it would be you."

**  
**Little Washu smiled at the praise; she liked Ranma more from day to day and also her mother seemed to be quite okay despite her quirks. "And what would it be that I could help you with?"

**  
**The Saotome matriarch blushed somewhat. "Well, I always wanted another child, yet when I gave birth to Ranma something happened and the doctors said I'd never be able to have another child. Now discovering that having a daughter is one of the nicest experiences I've ever made I wanted to ask you if you could examine me and maybe help me if possible. Having another child might also do my stupid husband a world of good, and this time the upbringing and education of the child will be up to me. I made this mistake once, and I will never repeat it. This I swear on my honour."

**  
**The other redhead looked sceptical. "Aha. And what would you do if your husband demands to take your hypothetic child on a training trip with him? How could you refuse it if he promised to make it a 'man among men' or a 'woman among women'?" she asked in an even voice and with a neutral face.

**  
**"I guess I deserved that." Nodoka said with a sigh. "Look, I was an eighteen year old girl with a lot of stupid ideas and ideals when I accepted that even stupider contract. My head was filled with fancy ideas and a lot of ideals I consider ludicrous and stupid in hindsight. I admit, had it not been for my prospective... well, it would be son-in-law at the moment, wouldn't it, I would probably still have my former views of manliness; I thank Kami-sama every day that He sent Kasumi to set me straight. So you see, I'd never allow Genma to take a prospective child of mine onto a training trip. Ever."

**  
**"I see." Washu said. "Go on."

**  
**Nodoka nodded, thankful that Washu hadn't judged her harshly yet. "The only one who'd ever be allowed to do this would be Ranma. And I sure as hell would accompany them, come there hell or high water. Genma can not be trusted with children, that he has proven beyond a doubt. You can rest assured that I ensured, that Genma will not have a say in Ranma's further upbringing and education. He's done enough to my child for a life-time." she said with conviction.

**  
**Little Washu nodded, and her respect for the Saotome matriarch went up several notches. "I see, Saotome-san. Under the condition that you give me your word of honour to abide by what you just said I'll help you to the utmost of my abilities. But make no mistake, should you fall back into your old ways of manliness and all that crap I _will_ know; and I have ways of dealing with that." she said and let her chojin-power leak into her voice.

**  
**Nodoka was suitably cowed and nodded. "I'd never dream of doing that to a child of mine again. Rather I'd commit Seppuku myself." she vowed and little Washu had little doubt that she'd follow on her word. "I nearly lost one child because of it, and I never want to happen that again."

**  
**The scientist nodded in satisfaction. "I should hope so. Ranma is a wonderful person, regardless which gender she's in, and we will help her as much as possible to come to terms with the curse. But your acceptance of Ranma as your daughter did her a world of good. She finally has the courage to discover a part of herself that was forbidden before. Had you not accepted Ranma she might have snapped under the stress at any given point in time; _nobody_, regardless how strong, can handle the stress she went through on a regular basis and escape its effects unscathed forever. She is exceptionally strong in mind and body, but even she has her limits. I imagine that she might have either snapped and gone on a rampage, or the milder option, she might have begun to wear girl's clothes in secret, trying to discover that part of herself in the hidden. For what happens if you're constantly told that something is forbidden?" she asked.

**  
**Nodoka knew where this was headed. "The lure of the forbidden…" she whispered. "Kami-sama above, we really forbade her to discover a _complete part_ of herself, didn't we? With forcing her to be manly regardless of the gender she never had a chance to be complete. And she always did act manly around me as to prove herself to me. It's no wonder she never seemed to be happy. I always had the impression, as if my child was feeling… sad and unhappy. Somehow incomplete. My motherly instincts may have been dimmed over the years from disuse, but I could feel it. Yet I forced her to act manly nevertheless once I knew of the curse. But no more! I'm going to treat my child according to the gender she is in; she's gone through enough already." she whispered with conviction and tears shimmering in her eyes.

**  
**Little Washu smiled. "Just remember to give her room to just be herself. Forcing her into something she's not would be completely wrong and would do more harm than good. Subtly encouraging her and giving advice is the course of action I'd suggest. She's been forced too often in her life in my opinion."

**  
**The Saotome matriarch nodded. "You're right, Washu-chan. Thank you for your insightful words." she said and bowed.

**  
**Washu-chan inclined her head. "You're welcome, Saotome-san."

**  
**Nodoka smiled. "Please call me Nodoka. Anyone who's helped my child and her love as much as you have has more than earned this right."

**  
**The scientist nodded with the hint of a smile. "Alright, Nodoka-san. Now if you wish we can start the examinations."

**  
**Ranma's mother nodded. "Please."

**  
**In the following hour little Washu put Nodoka through some tests; nothing humiliating or embarrassing, for Washu used her advanced equipment that respected the privacy and dignity of her test-subject most. To Nodoka's delight Washu was indeed able to help and her and did just that. She also gave Nodoka the warning, that she was more than likely to carry twins should the conception take place.

**  
**Washu explained, that the probability to experience a twin-pregnancy rose for women past thirty and as she was thirty-six it could very well happen. A very happy Nodoka left the lab of Washu and used the door her daughter and Soun had used one hour ago.

**  
**────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
**In the meantime Ranma had shown Soun his room for the night and had retired to her own; her mother would sleep in the same room as she and as was obvious little Washu had already accommodated the room for it sported now two four-poster beds.

**  
**At first Ranma shook her head as if to clear it. It seemed little Washu had also adjusted the specs of the room at the same time, for it had nearly doubled in size in comparison to before. With a smile Ranma thought that apparently nothing was impossible for the crazy scientist.

**  
**As the room now held more than enough room to do a kata Ranma threw herself into one of the katas of moderate complexity. Due to her growing abilities it was child's play to her; or usually would have been. For something felt off and distracted her from throwing her all into the kata. And for the life of her, Ranma could not determine what it was that felt off. It was just an indistinguishable feeling which's origin she could not locate, accompanied by those irregular… twitches.

**  
**Suddenly she felt an even stronger twitch than before, and paused in her kata to locate its origins. As a martial artist she was very much aware of her body and knew it to the little toe; or more appropriately worded, she _had_ come to know this body as much as she knew her male form from head to toe. After all, it was _her_ body and she'd have it till the day she died, hopefully in the far future.

**  
**But as much as she tried, she could not determine the source of the twitches, and her petulance grew ever more. This was something she'd never felt or encountered before, something with which she'd no experience; thus she'd no idea what to do about it, but she felt that it would be silly to go to her mother saying "Mom, I've got strange twitches.". Finally fed up she threw herself on her four poster and switched the TV on. She had long since changed into a pj and tried to make herself as comfortable as possible. The girls' pjs had also been something she had to get used to. Apparently girls slept with the panties on while wearing a pj (or so her mother had told her), and that had irritated her greatly at first.

**  
**Indeed she was still wearing the briefs they had bought instead of panties but that was beside the point; it was _still_ strange. Trying to get comfortable she watched TV for half an hour until she finally turned in. Ranma tried to ignore the odd twitches as much as possible and fell into a deep sleep due to sheer exhaustion, hopeful that the odd stomach bug she'd obviously caught would soon leave her alone.

**  
**────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

**  
**Nodoka entered the room of her daughter ten minutes after Ranma had gone to sleep. Walking over to where Ranma was lying in her bed she smiled softly to herself. She looked so peaceful… wait. Why was she scrunching her face up so much? Hmm, it seemed as if something was troubling her. Worried Nodoka sat down on the bedside and felt the forehead of her daughter. No, she did not seem to have fever. With motherly concern she stroked her daughters' hair and noticed how soft it was.

**  
**This had always been her dream, to be there for a daughter; a daughter with whom she could share all the secrets that could only been shared between a mother and her daughter. Now Fate had provided her with a chance for that and Nodoka vowed that she'd use it. However, she also kept little Washu's words in mind that she should not forget the male half of her child, but for the next three months she'd have a full time daughter. So where was the harm in treating her like her daughter?

**  
**She continued to fondle her daughter and was pleased when a soft smile settled on Ranma's face. Slowly and silently Nodoka got up and immediately found the adjacent bathroom. Whoever had planned this house had done a superb job at it. A bedroom with an adjacent bathroom was a dream! Smiling to herself Nodoka prepared for the night and once she was done she went into her own four-poster and called it a night. Little did she know that the night would be rather short…

**to be continued**…

**  
Thanks to everyone for helping me out with suggestions, ideas and comments.**

**  
Many thanks to those of you who were kind enough to leave reviews for the last chapter: **

**  
**Quontir, BrianDarksoul, neo82, Mozes, Rejhan, Ranko, Garahs, Hiryo, Slade13, ss4-link, LunaRoseAF, SlickRCBD, borg rabbit, Lord Oberon, AzureSky123, Van, TheWhiteMonk, Jerry Unipeg, Rose Vaughn, trunks and goten, kzinti7, JohnnyG, Martrex, Silverscale, Drakus, Brother Angelon, Light02, Wonderbee31

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	31. Females troubles and Ryogas' visit

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story.

This story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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Chapter 31: Female troubles and a visit from the lost boy**

**  
**Ranma woke up and was fully alert in an instant. The place she found herself in was not the bedroom she occupied at the Masakis, and she asked herself if _she_ had been abducted for a change. Looking down at herself she found that she was fully clothed, which was very odd considering that she clearly remembered undressing before going to bed. Ranma looked around and noticed that she was standing on the battlefield of earlier. Oddly enough it was as if the battle had never taken place; the compound was totally unharmed.

**  
**She looked around, and suddenly felt the presence of the Android. But that was impossible! She had destroyed that thing, she was sure! That could just not be, could it? Damn, she had disintegrated that thing to the last atom, but there it was standing, a few hundred yards away, a carbon-copy of Ryoko! How in Kami-samas name was that possible? It did not make sense!

**  
**Her irritation grew further when she suddenly felt someone else. Kasumi! What in Kami-samas name was _he_ doing here? Shouldn't he be healing in the reg-tank? Weird. And why was he headed her way, a look of determination dominant on his face? It looked like he intended to save her, but she didn´t need any saving here.

**  
**Then she saw that the Android had set itself in motion with a cruel smirk on its face, and she realised with horror where the machine was headed; her breath caught in her chest. It was directly headed for Kasumi! And she just knew in her gut that she would not be able to prevent that in time.

**  
**She started to run despite her instinctive knowledge and yelled a warning at him to look out, to get to safety, hoping against hope that she could prevent the disaster that was about to unfold.

**  
**Her thin hopes shattered when a cruelly smirking Android fired a huge energy-blast at Kasumi, and in that moment she knew that she had failed. The blast hit him dead-on, and she could hear his yell of pain, just like the first time. It was the worst sound she had ever heard and when she felt his life-energy slipping away she slumped to the ground, utterly defeated, tears spilling down her cheeks. In this moment she wanted nothing more than to die herself.

**  
**She had not been strong enough, not fast enough, not good enough. Her father had been right all along. She was a silly, weak little girl. A weak girl who had allowed that her life-mate, the love of her life, had been killed. She was worthless. A failure.

**  
**The redhead looked directly into the Android's eyes, but instead of rage she felt despair and defeat. Then the machine was gone as suddenly as it had appeared, and a weeping Ranma knelt down beside the lifeless body of her love, whose empty eyes stared at her accusingly, as if to say '_you_ killed me'.

**  
**Ranma awoke from the nightmare with a loud scream. Her heart was beating like a jackhammer in her ears and sweat was running down her forehead; a sheen of sweat seemed to cover her whole body, and she felt warm tears on her cheeks; she felt as if she had just run a marathon, but with five-ton weights attached to her body and shoes that weighed a ton each. The redhead started to sit up in bed in an effort to get a grip on herself when her mother hurried over to her.

**  
**Nodoka saw the tears streaming down her daughters' face and did not hesitate one second. She was at Ranma's side in a flash and embraced her in a comforting hug, all the while mumbling soothing words into her ear; she softly stroked her daughter's hair in an effort to calm her down. "It's alright, honey. It was just a bad dream. Let it all go." she soothed.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch had never seen her child so vulnerable before, but she had vowed that she would be there for her child, for her daughter as much as for her son, and by Kami-sama, she would never reprimand her again for showing human emotions. And Kami-sama help anyone who tried that! Ranma finally calmed down in her mother's comforting embrace as Nodoka continued to talk to her in calming and soothing tones. This was a new experience for Ranma as well as for Nodoka, and the Saotome matriarch could hardly remember when she had done it for her son so long ago. To be able to do it for her daughter felt nice.

**  
**Ranma, who'd seldom received any affection in her youth, was torn; on the one hand she loved how her mother was holding and comforting her, but on the other hand she was worried that she'd lose her independence by allowing others to care for her. Finally Ranma realised that she was still clinging to the teachings of her father, the only guideline she'd had in over ten years.

**  
**But now she consciously knew that his teachings outside martial arts were not suitable for her any more, and in a supreme effort she let herself fall into her mothers embrace completely. Her tears were slowly coming to a stop as she realised that everything that had happened _had_ been a bad dream; once she had realised that she sighed with heartfelt relief. She tried to get a grip on herself but found that difficult as her emotions were running rampant. Finally, with a thankful smile on her face she lowered herself out of her mother's embrace and onto the pillow.

**  
**Then, a bit more relaxed she began to tell her mother the details of her horrifying nightmare. She was still slightly shaken and really thankful for her mother's support. Her father would probably have acted way differently, to put it mildly. Here and now she realised from whom she'd inherited the 'insensitive gene'...

**  
**Ranma marvelled that her mother was so understanding and supportive, and her love for her grew in leaps and bounds. In the minutes after Ranma had regained her composure Nodoka had explained to her that it was only natural for her to feel guilty about what had happened, but that it was completely illogical to blame herself. Nodoka told her that she had talked to Washu about what had happened, and if even the universes' greatest scientist had assured that there had not been anything she could have done she could very well stop blaming herself.

**  
**Nodoka kissed Ranma's forehead. "It was not your fault, honey. Washu showed me a recording of the fight"

**  
**"What?" Ranma interjected, sitting up and seating herself beside her mother.

**  
**"Yes," Nodoka explained, "after she lost her… what was it called? Ah yes, sensor-net… after she lost that, she sent a cloaked… I think she called it 'surveillance-drone' that recorded the fight. I saw everything, and it was _his_ decision to shield you from the blast, which was very brave, mind you. But there was not a thing you could have done, so please stop blaming yourself. It won't do you any good, honey."

**  
**"But… but I was not strong enough to stop that thing from hurting and nearly killing him! What kind of martial artist am I? Pops was right, I was too weak to defend him. I'm a disgrace." she muttered and lowered her head.

**  
**Her mother was having none of it, and Ranma was surprised when Nodoka produced a battle aura. And a very impressive one at that. Moments later her chin was lifted, and she was forced to look into the eyes of her mother. Eyes that seemed to be alight with fire. "Ranma Saotome, now you listen here! You gave your all in this fight, a fight in which everyone was tossed around like rag dolls by this machine! You were even willing to sacrifice yourself if that would have given the others the chance to survive! You sure as hell are _not_ weak and you're no disgrace! If anyone says otherwise I'll skin them! You're my child, and I am proud of you! I love you so much, and I can't believe that I was stupid enough to miss out on you for over ten years. I'm proud of you, and I'm also proud of Kasumi. He showed you that he's willing to die for you, and that's the ultimate proof of love, honey." she said and drew her daughter into another embrace.

**  
**Ranma was so shocked by her mother's speech that she did not react for several moments. Then she giggled. "Mom, you cursed!" she exclaimed.

**  
**Nodoka giggled too. "I guess I did, honey. But there are moments in life when even a lady has to curse to get a point across." she said and looked into her daughter's blue eyes. "_Have_ you understood? You're not to blame. That Android was at fault, and you made it pay. So leave it behind you, and look forward to having him back." she said and stroked her daughter's back.

**  
**The redhead nodded. "I think I see clearer now, mom. Thanks." she said with another heartfelt smile. Then her face acquired a determined expression. "I swear I'll teach him how to defend himself properly, and if it's the last thing I do. I don't want a repeat of what happened, ever. I'll also ask Washu-chan if she can design a shield or something for him. With my life he's bound to run into trouble alongside me." she said with a sigh.

**  
**Her mother looked into her eyes and sighed too. "Your life is indeed filled with chaos, honey. I swear I should ask your father if he did anything stupid to you beside the things that came to light. But that is for another time. Now you should rest and dream about meeting your love again in a few days. Good dreams, my child." she said and placed another kiss onto Ranma's forehead.

**  
**Ranma sighed with contentment and leant back into her pillow, adjusted her blanket and got into her most comfortable position, considering her weird stomach cramps. She heard her mother say "Sleep tight, honey." before she drifted off into sleep.

**  
**-.-

**  
**In the middle of the night, it was 4.00 a.m. as her wrist-watch told her, Ranma unexpectedly woke up again, this time with a bloated feeling and the beginning of a headache. She had the vague feeling that a trip to the bathroom was called for and got up. **'That's a real odd stomach bug…' **she thought to herself as she made her way to the bathroom. **'But at least it was not another nightmare.'**

**  
**The cramps she'd had all day had grown in strength and were now bordering on real discomfort, and she swore that the headache she had was turning into a migraine. She'd also felt somewhat disgruntled the whole day, but had thought that was because her love had nearly been killed and because of everything that had happened afterwards.

**  
**Shaking her head at the chaos that was her life she approached the door that led to the bathroom. She distantly noticed the ki-signature of her mother and sensed that she was sleeping soundly in her own four-poster bed. Smiling slightly about sharing a room with her mother, and remembering the last time they had with a shudder she switched the light for the bathroom on and entered; the redhead was glad that sharing a room with a mother, who had accepted her fully was way different and felt really good.

**  
**Once in the bathroom she surveyed herself in the full-body mirror, but in the next two minutes she found nothing out of the ordinary about her. Everything was as it should be, nothing was different from what it had been after her growth spurt; her face was the same, her curves too, but what was it with her breasts? They seemed… bigger somehow, even on her now larger frame, which had served to decrease their prominence, and they felt more… sensitive? Odd.

**  
**Grumbling to herself she went to the loo to mind her business, and due to her sleepy state she did not notice at first. Then… "oooooOOOHHH GAWD!" she exclaimed loudly, probably waking up Soun in the adjacent room.

**  
**Her mother was there in a flash as only a concerned mother can manage. Nodoka found her panting and rather pale redheaded daughter who was sitting on the loo, staring into her panties… or rather briefs, how Nodoka noticed on second look.

**  
**Hmm, she'd think about appropriate undergarments for her daughter later. First this crisis, then everything else.  
"What is it, Ranma?" she asked before she noticed why her daughter was staring at her briefs. Then it dawned. They were blood-soaked which meant… "I see, daughter." she said in a soothing voice. "Now remain seated until I come back. Everything is okay."

**  
**Just at that moment Soun came barging in, obviously poised for action. "What is going on here?" he asked, his eyes scanning the room.

**  
**Ranma just blushed deeply, and she was eternally grateful when her mother stepped out of the bathroom, effectively preventing Soun from seeing her. "Soun," she heard her mother say, "everything is okay. It's just that a situation has come up that only a mother can take care of."

**  
**"If you say so, Nodoka." she heard Souns' voice. "I bid you a good night."

**  
**"The same to you, Soun." her mother replied. Moments later she reentered the bathroom and smiled at her daughter in an encouraging way.

**  
**Ranma however looked up at her with tears brimming in her eyes. "_Okay_? How can you say that everything is okay, mom? Nothing is okay! I'm a guy and guys ain't bleedin' down there!" she exclaimed, effectively stopping her mother from exiting the bathroom.

**  
**Nodoka came over to her again and smiled, then hugged her daughter. "It's absolutely normal for a _girl_, dear. Or rather a woman. And that you are in this form, Ranma. A woman. That you bleed 'down there' is nothing to be ashamed of; rather it is the most natural and normal thing in the world."

**  
**Her daughter looked miserable. "But I'm a guy, mom!" she wailed.

**  
**Her mother took her chin in her hand and forced her to look up. "I thought we had established that you're my daughter as much as my son, dear. Your period _proves_ that you're every bit my daughter as you're my son. You're a real woman now, daughter."

**  
**Her mother's words sunk in slowly, and reality dealt her up till now primarily masculine self a severe blow. Guys did indeed not bleed down there; therefore she was no guy; not wholly and at least not in this form. But what was she? She did not know as of yet. All that she knew was that she was utterly confused. Up till now she'd been sure that there was not much to the concept that she was as much female as male. Sure, she'd accepted that this body would be with her until the day she died, but deep down it had still been somewhat like looking into a funhouse mirror.

**  
**But now she was not so certain any more as the knowledge of what had happened - what _was_ happening to her - integrated into her and overrid the reservations she'd still had against the idea of being both sides of the coin. What was currently happening to her, what she was going through - the bleeding, the cramps and twitches, the migraine and so on - all that simply did not happen to the male part of the species. Not to anyone she knew of or had heard about, at any rate.

**  
**Ranma grew ghostly pale once more as she realised what her having her period meant. She was a real girl in body. A woman; this was not like looking into a fun-house mirror any more, the situation had changed. She really was a bloody, bleeding female, and that quite literally at the moment. She sobbed softly and barely noticed that her mother swept her into a comforting embrace.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Nodoka on her part knew what Ranma was going through, or had at least a very strong guess, for she had had some time to think about it. She had been sure that her son-turned-daughter _would_ get her period, as Elder Cologne had been very convincing on the part that Jusenkyo victims really turned into fully functional exemplars of what had drowned in the peculiar springs.

**  
**She also knew that the case of her daughter was different from any other girl in the world; her daughter had not been born a girl, and thus she'd never gone through a typical puberty like all the other girls in the world had. Jusenkyo had heaved all changes upon her in a moments notice when she had been cursed, and she'd had virtually no time to get used to it. One moment she had been a male, and the next moment after she'd impacted the spring she'd been the polar opposite of what she'd been before.

**  
**It had especially not helped that her husband had raised Ranma into a young man who looked down upon women; this and Genma's attitude towards women had ensured that her child had never accepted the curse. She could just vividly imagine how Genma had demanded that her child change back any time Ranma had been changed into a she. And _she_ had been as guilty herself what with the contract and her efforts to insist on her child being manly at each and every occasion, regardless of the gender.

**  
**But that would change now, and it had already changed. Her _daughter_ needed her support now, needed to find herself, and she was glad that she could be there for her, unlike in the past and especially during the training trip; normally Kasumi would have been able to help Ranma through what she was going through, but as the oldest Tendo child and love of her child was currently prevented from doing so _she_ had the honour to help her daughter. And it was indeed an honour to help her child through a difficult time; she'd missed out on so much in her childs' life thanks to Genma and her own stupidity, and she vowed that she'd never repeat her mistakes.

**  
**Softly stroking her daughters' hair she spoke some soft nonsense into her ear and Ranma slowly began to calm down. Nodoka still marvelled at how her son had also become her daughter; but now after she'd let go of her old convictions she could cherish and love her new daughter as much as her son. She had to marvel though at the complete physical change induced by the Jusenkyo magic; it was mind-boggling, but that was what made up magic, Nodoka mused.

**  
**At Jusenkyo her child had undergone a complete physical transformation aside from one aspect, all at once. Now that aspect had caught up and Ranma had become a real full-blossomed woman. It was safe to assume that this had dealt a severe psychological blow to Ranma, and she could only imagine the hell her daughter was currently going through. Her hormones were probably wrecking havoc on her at present, and the all too familiar discomfort of a period that every adolescent female on the planet had experienced was probably a very alien feeling to her.

**  
**It would be a hard time for her daughter, but if handled correctly it could also lead to growth, maybe even to her accepting her femininity completely. That the period _had_ occurred was a severe blow to her child's masculine self image in and on itself, but now the real work on how to be a girl would and could begin.

**  
**-.-

**  
**After Ranma had calmed down enough her mother handed her a selection of female hygiene products and a pair of plain cotton panties. Due to the fact that the Saotome girl had had some time to get used to the idea of wearing panties she only shuddered briefly. With a defeated expression she took a simple sanitary towel and the panties. After using the shower and a thorough cleaning she put the sanitary towel in place with the help of her mother and put the panties on.

**  
**Even in her agitated state she noticed that the panties were a snug fit around her private area and surprisingly she didn't even notice the sanitary towel much, which was a good thing. After she was properly attired she gulped down two Midol and put on a determined expression; she'd face this head-on, and Ranma Saotome never lost. So she was a real girl and she had her period. So what? Big deal. As her mom had said on one occasion, billions of women were going through that on a regular basis and now she too. This was nothing she could not handle; and besides, her mother accepted her like she was and was helping her in any way she could, and she loved the feeling of support and encouragement her mother was giving her.

**  
**She was really happy that her mother was so helpful and loving; it was a far-cry compared to the scary katana-carrying woman from whom she had hidden several months ago. Sure, her mom had been nice, but scary nevertheless. But that had changed tremendously. She had to smile inadvertedly as she walked towards her bed, a worried mother trailing behind her.

**  
**Nodoka blanketed her once she had returned to bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Ranma had to admit that it was a good feeling to have such a caring mother; this too was a far cry from her upbringing and felt really nice. As she lay under the covers she mused that her life had changed a lot lately. And quite very much for the better, even taking everything that had happened to her and was still happening into account.

**  
**The engagement to Akane had been dissolved after she had really tried everything to make it work out; but to be fair, she had to admit that both she and Akane had simply been too immature to have a real relationship, too prideful and too similar. What they had had between them had obviously not been enough and it was probably all for the better that things had happened the way they had.

**  
**Now she was united in love with Kasumi, a Kasumi who even had received the opposite curse of hers due to a twist of fate. They really were the ideal couple as Kasumi matched her perfectly. Where she was irritable he was calm, where she was weak he was strong, and the same was true for their other forms; in essence, they were the opposite of the other but not so much so that they wouldn't have had enough in common to have a healthy relationship.

**  
**How much she wished that he was here. She really wanted to have him here with her so that she could snuggle up to him and feel safe and warm… damn! These female hormones were really affecting her! But on the other hand, she had learned that there was nothing wrong in seeking comfort; especially from the person one loved.

**  
**Never would she ever deny that she loved Kasumi again. She loved both forms of her love so much that she really had no idea how she could have existed without this love up till now. No, she couldn't imagine her life without Kasumi; the teachings of her father that a martial artist had to concentrate on nothing but the Art be damned.

**  
**She had grasped for herself that it was even okay for one of the best of martial artists to rely on someone, to love someone. Thanks to Kasumi and the others here she'd begun to grasp that one could achieve so much more with support. And if anyone tried to wreck this marvel, this fairytale that had happened to her then she'd have to set them straight. She had finally found what had been missing in her life for so long and may the heavens be merciful on those who tried to take it away from her…

**  
**With these thoughts Ranma slipped into a deep sleep and as the Midol had taken effect it was not nearly as troubled as she had thought it would…

**  
**-.-

**  
**Next morning Ranma awoke with a slight migraine and the distinct feeling that she had to use the bathroom. A look at her wrist-watch told her that she'd slept five hours after her ordeal, which was at least enough to have had a good nights' sleep.

**  
**A look at her mother's bed told her that she was still asleep, which was no wonder after last night. The implications of what had happened were still integrating into her and she was slowly coming to grips with it; she really was a real female in this body, like any other female on the planet. She had periods and… she could get pregnant. Damn, Fate really had sprung something at her, hadn't it?

**  
**Grumbling to herself she left the bed in a decidedly vindictive mood and pattered over to the bathroom. She absently switched the lights on, opened the door and closed it again after she'd entered. Like a few hours before she first surveyed herself in the full-body mirror after she'd stripped down to her panties.

**  
**Aside from a swelling of her breasts and the churning feeling in her innards everything seemed to be okay. Her mother had told her in their 'talk' a few weeks ago that she'd still be able to function normally which was a relief, yet she'd suggested that she should take it a bit slower when she'd have her time.

**  
**Now this time had arrived and she really hated the thought that she wouldn't be able to go all out because of her monthlies; now she also understood why some girls had been excused from PE around a certain time of the month. Hmm, maybe Washu had a suggestion or two in that regard, something to allow her to go all out despite her situation.

**  
**Ranma then continued to survey herself in the mirror; she was not entirely satisfied with what she saw. Had she gotten a bigger butt? And she really didn't like that swelling of her breasts. It made it even harder to get a good nights sleep and she was very glad that she'd already gone to sleep as a girl in the past before; the Cats tongue incident and the Herb incident had ensured that she'd found comfortable sleeping arrangements for her girl body.

**  
**But her butt… she seriously had to do something about it! Then, with a shake of her head she tried to shoo these thoughts out of said head; she'd taken pride in her body before but _that_ was ridiculous and so… feminine! Why should she care about the size of her butt as long as it did not blow her slacks and still looked cute? There, she was doing it again! Damn female hormones!

**  
**Ranma stopped surveying herself with a sigh and used the loo; she stripped out of her panties next and conducted her business. The redheaded girl noticed with a smile that her mother had obviously planned ahead, for a handful of pads, some plain cotton panties and a package of Midol were already laying on the sideboard of the bathtub.

**  
**The redhead extracted two Midol, filled a glass with water and gulped them down. Her love had been right; those thingies really helped. She'd have to thank him properly later. With a smile that was caused by the thought that her love would soon be able to leave the reg-tank she entered the shower-cubicle, a large towel already in place. Next she turned on the water and switched it to hot.

**  
**Soon the hot water did her a world of good as it washed away all her kinks and tensions. She had to admit that it was nice to be able to take a hot shower in this form. It really felt nice how the hot water met parts of her that had never had the occasion to enjoy warm or hot water. During the more than two weeks where she had been locked courtesy of Herb she had not really been able to enjoy the comforts of a hot shower. What had happened during the cats tongue incident… well she didn't even want to go there.

**  
**Ranma noticed that the warm water seemed to feel… softer somehow as when she showered as a male, and she began to understand why females liked to take a hot bath or shower so much if it felt this good. She'd have to do that more often…

**  
**Taking care to wash herself with water only as had been advised she took good care to wash all parts of her, especially her private area. She still thought it gross to be bleeding down there, but that was apparently a feeling that nearly every female on the planet shared. As it was thusly nothing special she just ignored it. It was a normal function of the female body and that she was a real female in this form she could not deny any longer.

**  
**Ranma had to admit that this incident, that she really had a period was slowly beginning to tip the scales from 'completely male deep down' to 'maybe I'm both after all?'. If she was honest to herself, she'd always sensed deep down that this might be the case. Only certain outside influences like her parents, a certain Seppuku pledge and so on had always prevented her from accepting this side of her. That and her stubbornness to always be the macho, the manliest man possible even when a woman.

**  
**But now that she'd really blossomed into a full woman as her mother had labelled it she'd little choice but to accept this side of herself as her. This female body was as much Ranma Saotome as her birthform, her male half. And now it was really time that she started treating this body thusly.

**  
**Finishing the shower she left the shower-cubicle with a new understanding of herself; the old ghoul had been right. She really had to train this body, and that just as much as her male form. Granted, she was tapping a new well of power that was apparently making her ever stronger but she had to be able to defend herself from would-be-rapists at any event. Her having her period had impressively brought home the point that she could indeed get pregnant. If she'd ever consider such a thing then with only one person…  
**'Damn was I really thinking that? Holy Kami-sama, I must be more rattled than I thought…'** Ranma mused to herself.

**  
**-.-

**  
**A nearly headache-free and freshly attired Ranma entered the bedroom and found her fully clothed mother already waiting for her, a proud smile on her face. "Good morning, daughter."

**  
**Ranma returned the smile somewhat cautiously. What was her mother so chipper for? Odd. "Morning, mom. What gives?"

**  
**Nodoka's smile deepened and seconds later Ranma found herself in a hug of astounding strength. "I'm so happy that my little girl has become a woman!" she gushed.

**  
**The smaller redhead scrunched her face up to hide her embarrassment. "Mooom! I'm not little and I'm…"

**  
**That was a far as she got. "Tut, tut, Ranma. Don't even start saying that you're a guy. Your monthlies clearly prove otherwise. Aside from that, dear, I learned of how you behaved during that phase were you thought that you were a complete girl." she said and surveyed her daughter with a glance.

**  
**Ranma had the overwhelming urge to hide under a stone. "Nabiki couldn't shut her trap, huh? Grand." she muttered. Then she looked her mother in the eye "But mom, there and then I had hit my head and had amnesia. So that does not count."

**  
**Nodoka shook her head with a smile. "I think otherwise. There and then you showed that you have the potential to be a normal girl. I don't say that this was your true self, dear, rather I say you can be as much a girl as you're a boy. It has been often said before, but you have to find a balance between your two halves. That you have your period shows that you're as much female as male; both halves of you are equally strong, dear, or are now in the process of becoming so. Both have advantages and disadvantages and now you've to discover your female half for real, dear, with everything that entails."

**  
**Ranma just sighed. "Yes, mom."

**  
**The Saotome matriarch smiled. "But at the same time you must help Kasumi to do the same in reverse. The two of you are in a unique situation as you're _both_ male and female; Fate has obviously challenged the two of you to come to terms with it, and its good that you have each other. Obviously Fate wanted the two of you this way, thus it makes no sense to deny these halves of you. But I'm confident that the two of you will come out of it stronger than before. Know that I'll support you in everything you do, my child. I love you." she said and gave Ranma a kiss to the forehead.

**  
**The Saotome girl was quite happy. Her mother had not used the 'all-girl-incident' against her despite the fact that she could have. What she'd said had also sounded very logical and all the evidence was really mounting on her that Fate had wanted her and her love this way. It was however good to know that her mother would finally support her fully. "Thanks, mom." she said with a real smile and hugged her mother who hugged her back with a smile of her own.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch was very proud of her child and she was more than glad that she had listened to Kasumi a few months back; it had done her child a world of good that she'd let go of her manliness fixation for good. "You're welcome, dear." **'I've finally understood that your wishes are more important than what others want out of you. I will do my utmost to never fall back into the trap of using you to fulfil my own dreams, my child. But that does not mean that I can't encourage you subtly so that I'll finally get some grandchildren…'** she thought with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

**  
**Their mother-daughter-hug was suddenly interrupted by a loud grumbling and Nodoka looked at her sheepishly smiling daughter. "I take it you're hungry, dear?" she asked with mirth.

**  
**Ranma nodded her head. "You could say that, mom."

**  
**Still smiling Ranma dressed; the Saotome matriarch noticed that her daughter had even refrained from using her briefs but that was probably due to practicability. But even though, they'd really have to do something regarding her wardrobe. It just did not do for her daughter to wear such… male attire while she was a girl.

**  
**At present she had nothing to criticise seeing as her daughter was wearing spandex-shorts and a black tank-top which accentuated her figure very nicely. Had her boyfriend been here he would surely have drooled over her, there was no doubt; regardless even if Kasumi was half-female himself he would probably have liked the view very much.

**  
**But Nodoka knew that she had to take the renovation of her daughter's wardrobe slowly. First things first; after all her daughter had lived through a lot in the last 48 hours and it would not do to ask too much of Ranma; if she'd learned one thing from her talks with Kasumi then that her child did not like to be forced, and all attempts to do so were likely met with stubborn resistance.

**  
**Once ready the two Saotome women went down into the kitchen, stopped to chat some with Sasami, who had made more than enough food for even Ranma and together the three enjoyed a quiet breakfast, seeing as the others were still asleep. Only Katsuhito was already up and about and according to Sasami the old Shinto priest was meditating at the family shrine. Nodoka, who was understandably eager to chat with her old sensei nodded at hearing this; she'd wait until he was finished. After all, she'd waited this long, she could wait a bit longer still.

**  
**The Saotome matriarch concentrated on her chat with the second crown princess of Jurai and told Sasami everything about her daughter's first period; a delighted Sasami vowed that she´d prepare red beans and rice to celebrate it appopriately, much to Ranma's eternal embarrassment. The redhead would have liked nothing more than to sink into the floor, muttering about a mothers' uncanny ability to embarrass her child. Only good that there was more than enough food to brighten her day at least somewhat.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Ranma left the house after she had helped herself to a sufficient amount of food, and she had decided to throw herself into a kata or the other while her mother had remained behind to talk with Sasami. After all, there was a lot the Saotome matriarch had to be filled in to seeing as they had only covered the base facts.

**  
**Nodoka had known of course that her sensei was of alien descent and she'd sworn an oath at that time to never reveal that fact, but she was curious as to what had happened in the lives of the Masakis and the other residents of the house. She'd known from the start that Ryoko and Ayeka were aliens, their auras had made that clear. She could hardly wait to hear what had happened during the ten and more years that she had not seen her sensei. His life had been very interesting, as it seemed.

**  
**While Nodoka was busy chatting with Sasami her daughter was trying to incorporate her new powers into the style of Anything Goes. As she'd surmised in her fight against Ryoko the ability of flight did indeed take Anything Goes to the next level. Admittedly, she still had to fine-tune her newest technique, but it was already well-enough developed to allow her to do some stunning things.

**  
**Seeing as their latest enemy had possessed a lot of power and dangerous skills itself it would really do good to improve a lot further. Indeed, she now had full access to her new powers but that did not mean that she had full control over them. Somehow she knew that it would be a complex task to achieve that. She had become a lot stronger and more powerful, but she feared that they'd need to be at their best to survive what was to come. And she could feel it in her gut that something was to happen in the near future. Something big.

**  
**But she would be ready, she _had_ to be. However, the last fight had made crystal clear that she couldn't continue her lone martial artist routine in face of the likely opponents, and that meant working in a team. With Tenchi and his friends; as much as she normally liked to fight in solitude, she had realised the necessity. _She_ had let Kasumi down once already, and the love of her life had nearly been killed for it; her mother could tell her a thousand times that there hadn't been anything she could have done, but the truth was, it _had_ been her fault. She had failed, but she vowed to herself that she'd never fail again, and if training Tenchi and the others meant increasing these odds then so much better.

**  
**She knew that she'd probably feel guilty forever, that she'd probably hear his agonised scream until the day she died, but as long as she had life left in her body she'd fight that something like what had happened could never recur. Her training helped her focus, made her forget her guilt for a while, but the pain she carried with her was just as important, as it served as a valuable lesson: that she was still human, and always would be, with all the faults and weaknesses that entailed. It was a sobering insight, but one that had been necessary. If only the price hadn't been so high…

**  
**Ranma threw herself into her katas with renewed vigour and practised each and every new move she had in her arsenal. The strength of her energy-blasts had increased but she knew that she had a long way ahead of her to make them as strong as in her fight against the Android; there and then she had been ruled by anger, hate and rage which had given her power far beyond what she had experienced ever before. She knew now that she had this kind of power, it was only the question to make it useable under normal circumstances.

**  
**The Saotome girl barely noticed that she'd been exercising for over one and a half hour now and only snapped out of her concentration when she sensed that Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko were nearing. With a smile she touched down to the ground and breathed evenly. "Good morning you three." she greeted with a smile, noticing instantly that all three were clothed in trainings attire.

**  
**Various greetings followed and after a brief discussion they began to spar. Ranma had chosen Ryoko as a sparring partner while she'd paired up Tenchi and Ayeka. Today they'd started on working to improve their defence and seeing that Tenchi was already quite proficient at defence he could give Ayeka some pointers.

**  
**Admittedly, the first crown princess of Jurai had had professional training in hand to hand but there remained a lot that she had to learn; seeing that she had been basically useless in the fight against the Android she'd sworn to herself that she would become stronger and better. And this determination was exactly what Ranma wanted to see in her students.

**  
**Ranma knew that she had not been a good teacher in the past seeing as she had failed rather completely in Akane's case; but that had been Akane's fault just as much as hers. The other girl had always claimed that she was a good and accomplished martial artist, but honestly, she had really lacked in technique and style due to the fact that she'd never been taught more than the basics.

**  
**Breaking bricks just did not make you a good martial artist; but sadly Akane had never realised that and she had never admitted that she needed help in order to improve; the times were she'd been suped up by the Super Soba noodles and that strange armour had not helped matters in the least.

**  
**But Ranma on her part had made the mistake to never train Akane seriously for fear of hurting her; and one of her biggest flaws had been her inability to hit the other girl in training. That she'd also been unwilling to stop Akane from walking all over her at all times due to her feelings for the Tendo girl had also not helped matters as it has eroded any possible respect Akane could have had for her as a sensei. Fact was that she had failed where the training of Akane was concerned.

**  
**Even pulled punches would probably have been enough to show Akane that she needed to improve and it would probably even have shown her that she did take her seriously. But sadly she'd been too set in her ways back then to jump over her own shadow. Sadly that could not be changed any more but she'd vowed to herself that she'd not repeat the mistakes she had made. She'd never claimed to be a martial arts teacher, had she?

**  
**But she vowed that she'd do her best and utmost to teach Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka all that she knew, even if she still had way to go before she'd be an accomplished sensei. But she'd learned from the past and she vowed to be the best sensei she could be. It also helped big time that Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko could more than take what she could dish out, and not having to hold back was a relief.

**  
**Currently Ryoko and she were involved in an all-out fight and Ranma had to give it to Ryoko, the other girl had talent; but her deff was sorely lacking. In fact it was her weakest spot, but due to the pointers Ranma gave her she was already improving; it was also good to see that the cyan-haired girl did not overly repeat the same mistakes she had made during their last sparring match. That was also due to the fact that Ryoko had realised herself that she could be placed in situations where her extraordinary toughness would not be enough; in essence, Ryoko had accepted Ranma as her sensei, as had Tenchi and Ayeka.

**  
**Said two teens were ahead of Ryoko in regards of their deff, but even in their cases there was still loads of room for improvement. Ranma was just busy with instructing the two while Ryoko watched and learned when her head suddenly jerked up. Through their connection her mother had told her that they had had a security breach… again.

**  
**Ryoko just wanted to breach the news when a distinct battle-cry rang out. "RANMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO DIE!"

**  
**-.-

**  
**Four heads whipped into the direction from where the battle-cry had originated but only one was graced with a smile. Ranma was quite happy to 'hear' from Ryoga, seeing as she had had no time to write the lost boy as of yet. But her smile faded quickly as she saw Ryoga's face. The lost boy was obviously very angry at something. Odd. She could have sworn that she had done nothing to raise his ire in the past months.

**  
**Ranma surveyed the nearing lost boy further and realised that his backpack was noticeably absent. Indeed he was carrying his ever-present bamboo-umbrella in his left-hand, but Ryoga without his pack looked… incomplete. "Hey Ryoga," she greeted, "what's up?"

**  
**Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko exchanged glances. _That_ was Ryoga? Ranma had told them about the lost boy but why the hell was he here? And why was he intent on killing Ranma? "Ranma, is everything alright? I thought you two were friends now." Tenchi stated, not knowing that this was Ryogas standard greeting to begin a fight.

**  
**Ranma nodded and was about to answer when Ryoga shouted "RANMA! BECAUSE OF YOU I'VE SEEN HELL!"

**  
**The Saotome girl looked puzzled for a moment, then she shrugged. "Seems as if he needs a friendly match to vent. I'll handle that." she said confidently.

**  
**Her three friends looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. He needed a 'friendly match'? And they'd thought Nerima had been odd, but it rather seemed as if most of the people Ranma knew were odd.

**  
**The redhead walked over to meet Ryoga and following their usual pattern Ryoga attacked first. His bamboo umbrella which he had switched to his right hand thrust out but missed Ranma by several inches. Snarling Ryoga intensified his attacks but Ranma dodged out of the way each time and her mood changed in an instant when she realised that Ryoga was going more than all out.

**  
**Why should she allow him to vent at her? What was she? A punching bag for all the idiots of Nerima and beyond? Even though he was her friend, she was getting pissed off at Ryoga as she evaded his attacks. The redhead did not known if her anger was rooted in the hormonal imbalance due to her period or in the fact that one of her supposed friends was attacking her for no reason, again; all that she knew was that her temper was rising and would explode soon. She was sick and tired of being everyone's scapegoat, and if Ryoga wanted to vent he could do so in a real sparring match and not in a try-to-friggin-kill-her-match! No way in hell was she ever going to be anyones' punching bag again, in no form or way.

**  
**She dodged another thrust with a backflip and Ryoga tried to use this to his favour. Leaping upwards he brought down the umbrella only to have it blocked by a double-armed block of Ranma's. Feat that surprised Ryoga quite a lot considering how heavy his umbrella was and considering how much strength he'd put behind it. The heavy weapon bent so much during Ranmas block that it was rendered useless and a surprised Ryoga drew it back.

**  
**The lost boy needed to vent his frustrations indeed but one look at Ranmas face showed that she might not be the usual emotional punching bag; the redhead looked mightily pissed off and if Ryoga had not known better he'd have said it looked like raging female anger. Not unlike how his Akari often looked during that time of the month. This thought led his thoughts back to his girlfriend and he instantly began to glow in a sickly green aura. "SHI SHI HOKODAN!" he exclaimed and shot a beam of depression ki at Ranma.

**  
**The pigtailed girl had been on her guard however and had used her increased strength to jump well clear of Ryoga as soon as he had shown signs of depression ki; as a counter she had raised her own ki in the hope that a perfect phoenix orb would be enough to cancel Ryogas blast.

**  
**As soon as the blast had left Ryogas hands Ranma had been ready. "Perfect phoenix orb!" she yelled and an orange-red ball of fire blasted towards the depression-blast and an astonished Ryoga watched with his mouth hanging open. He'd expected that she'd counter with a Moko Takabisha, which would be easily overwhelmed by the strength of his depression ki. But as he watched this new attack he was not so sure.

**  
**The two blasts met and annihilated in a huge explosion that sent shockwaves through the compound. Little Washu, who was busy in her lab how so often was half-annoyed that she'd been disturbed in her research, and half-giddy because of all the data her new sensor-net recorded. Making the decision to lean back and enjoy she materialised some popcorn and abandoned her latest project in favour of watching the fight.

**  
**Two aliens and one part-alien, currently standing at the sidelines of said fight, exchanged glances as they watched the fight. This was only a _friendly_ match? It looked more like Ryoga was trying to _kill_ Ranma! And as it seemed now, gauging from the look on their friends' face, vice versa! But knowing their friend she would not want their interference in her fight, especially if it only was indeed a 'friendly match'. Thus they could do little more but sit back and watch the events unfold.

**  
**Even before the dust cloud had cleared a pissed off Ranma was upon Ryoga and rained blows down on him that were taxing even his Breaking point hardened hide. Seeing the angry fire blazing in her eyes he asked himself if he should just have asked for help instead of venting his frustrations on his friend as usual. Usually it wouldn't have been a problem; they would have fought back and forth until the one with the problem would have breached the topic once enough steam had been vented. That had been their modus operandi ever since the months following the failed wedding. But something was different now.

**  
**"PERFECT SHI SHI HOKODAN!" he exclaimed, and fired the large green ovoid of ki in an attempt to drive Ranma away from him.

**  
**But another Perfect Phoenix Orb quickly did way of his attack. "RYOGA NO BAKA! I AIN'T IN THE FRIGGIN MOOD FOR THIS SHIT!" she yelled and roasted him with two phoenix orbs in quick succession.

**  
'Damn, maybe I should've chosen another day to stop by…'** a singed Ryoga thought.

**  
**As soon as a snarling Ranma punched his face faster than he could see Ryoga had the confirmation. Ranma was indeed mightily pissed. The evident rage on her face and the fire literally dancing in her eyes would have had even most kami running in fright, and Ryoga gulped. Something was definitely off about Ranma. She was scary! **'One sec... _she_… maybe I was right when I compared _her_ to Akari! Could it be? Could it be this time of the month for _her_?'** he thought with another gulp as a fiery glowing Ranma approached him, cracking her knuckles.

**  
**Panicking he employed the Bakusai Tenketsu to get some space between them, only to see that his attack didn't have any effect on the approaching redhead. **'Impossible!'** Ryoga thought. **'That should have thrown her backwards like nothing! What has happened to her?'** he asked himself, trying to bring some distance between himself and the scary and seemingly unstoppable woman Ranma had become.

**  
**Meanwhile, while Ranma was rounding in on Ryoga, unstoppable like a Tsunami others were putting the clues together too. Tenchi, who was used to this kind of behaviour from the other girls in the household even if not to this extent, was white as the wall as he came to the apparent conclusion. Drawing a shuddering breath he looked at Ryoko and Ayeka. "Are you thinking the same? Could it be her time of the month?"

**  
**The two girls looked at each other and nodded. "Hell, I thought she was grumpy because of what happened," Ryoko paused to cringe as Ranma proceeded to turn Ryoga into a pretzel, "but it was PMS." she whispered.

**  
**Tenchi nodded. "Yeah. Ranma on her period is even scarier than you two." he said before thinking.

**  
**"WHAT!" two now extremely irritated females exclaimed.

**  
**"Umm, heh heh, shouldn't we concentrate on the problem at hand?" a sweating Tenchi asked, hoping that his diversion from his foot-in-mouth accident would work. "Look she has nearly turned him into a human pretzel!"

**  
**"Wow!" Ryoko exclaimed, looking at the display, and Ayeka looked too. "Didn't know that the human body could be bended in this way. You reckon we try this with Ranmas stupid father?"

**  
**Ayeka grinned and Tenchi breathed a silent sigh of relief. "It would be... interesting. And normally the human body _can't_ be bended this way."

**  
**Tenchi, having covered his faux pax up looked worriedly at Ranma, who continued to mutilate Ryoga. "Uhh, shouldn't we stop her? I think that poor guy has suffered enough." he said with sympathy.

**  
**Ayeka and Ryoko looked at each other, then at Tenchi. Both shook their heads. "Not yet." said Ayeka. "You would not believe how cathartic it is to vent during the monthlies. As it is her first she's allowed some leeway. Besides, Washu-chan can patch him up after Ranma is through with him. After the behaviour he has displayed he deserves being taught a lesson."

**  
**Ryoko nodded empathically. "You got that right, princess." she said and continued to watch, wishing she had some popcorn.

**  
**Tenchi for his part suppressed a shudder with difficulty. Women could be really scary if they wanted, and he figured that he'd do well to remember that Ranma, his best childhood friend, was a highly erratic and dangerous woman at the moment, and not the buddy he knew from his childhood. Behaviour towards the contrary might be very detrimental to his own health, gauging from what she was currently doing to that poor sod. Shuddering the grandson of Yosho watched one of the most terrifying things thinkable: a super-powered woman on her monthlies aka a force of mass destruction.

**  
**When Ranma was done ten minutes later she dusted herself off and huffed. Looking down at Ryoga the thought crossed her mind that she might have overdone it a little, but it had felt so _good_ to blow off steam! Had that been the reason why Akane had liked to dish out so much during a certain time of the month? It would certainly explain a lot.

**  
**-.-

**  
**Tenchi and the two alien girls approached Ranma and the moaning human pretzel cautiously. Tenchi pitied the other boy; his timing for the attack couldn't have been worse. "I hate to suggest it, but let's get him to Washu-chan so she can 'depretzel' him. Ryoko, if you would."

**  
**The cyan-haired girl nodded, touched Ryoga on the shoulder (which elicited a moan of pain) and teleported them to Washus lab. Ayeka laid a hand on Ranmas shoulder. "Are you okay, Ranma?"

**  
**Said Saotome girl shook her head as if to clear it. "Yes. No. Dunno. Damn, what's wrong with me? Normally I manage to keep my cool but today... not even the Soul of Ice was able to calm me down."

**  
**The first crown-princess of Jurai smiled at the redhead while Tenchi stayed in the background, deeming it safer for his continued good health. "This is your first menarche, Ranma, and it's normal that your hormones are out of control. That it's harder for you is no wonder considering your history. But believe me, it gets easier over time." Ayeka said.

**  
**Ranma visibly gathered herself and nodded, thankful for the support she experienced here once again. "I hope so, Ayeka, I hope so. This whole period-stuff is a lot tougher than I thought and I admit that my respect for the women around the world went up several notches." she said and shook her head. "I hardly ever felt so out of control before and it's very impressive that women manage to go through this without blowing things up when they're having their time. Maybe it's a good thing that not every woman can create ki-blasts, huh?" she jested in an attempt of wry humour.

**  
**Ayeka smiled. "Yes, women are a _lot_ stronger than most men think, even though our strengths are different to that of men." she said and began leading Ranma towards the house. Tenchi on his part still remained aloof. "But as I said it will get easier each time. Consider that your body is undergoing massive changes and add the stress you had - we had - to it. I found that those medications called 'Midol' help me greatly when I have my time. Oddly even better than anything Washu-chan had to offer, much to her chagrin, I might add. I suggest however that you ask her anyway if she has something up her sleeve that could aid you."

**  
**The pigtailed girl nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Don't wanna pulverise Tenchi for breathing the wrong way or anything." she said only half in jest.

**  
**Tenchi, who was following them sweated and prayed that Little Washu had some really good medication in store. Ranma on her monthlies was really scary and he didn't want to find out if the wings could protect him from an enraged and hormonal Ranma should she find him wanting. Following the chatting girls Tenchi could only hope that Ranma, Ayeka and Ryoko would never have their times at the same time. The world and especially he would not survive it...

**to be continued**...

Thanks for reading. Also, thanks to everyone for helping me out with suggestions, comments, ideas and c&c in general. Special thanks go to the people at Shinjis board.

**  
Many thanks to those of you who were kind enough to leave reviews for the last chapter: **

**  
**Bialaska, Hiryo, Honesty , trunks and goten, Lord Oberon , Dragon Man 180, Paver83, Wonderbee31, kzinti7, P.H. Wise, Sterling-Ag, Jerry Unipeg, Kerensky18, Ranko , JohnnyG, ss4-link, Shadow Kage, Rejhan, borg rabbit, Jerry Unipeg, Martrex, MarshmellowDragon, James Axelrad , AzureSky123, psycotic boy , dennisud, Silverscale, Really Bad Fanfiction


	32. The schools united at last?

**Title**: A trip to self

**Author name**: Trugeta

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Kajishima Masaki and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story. Also, the OCs used in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is not intended and purely coincidental.

The story focuses on Ranma and Kasumi and is set after Volume 38 of the Manga. It's an AU and Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**--**

**Chapter 32: The schools - united at last?**

The sun was just setting when a group of three teenagers could be seen walking up from the lake towards the Masaki residence. It was quite apparent that none of the group of two young women and one young man walking at a leisurely pace were paying any heed to the encroaching evening that brought with it milder and thus more enjoyable temperatures.

The local wildlife that was usually so active around this time of the day was unusually silent, but this silence suited the de facto leader of the group, one Ranma Saotome, quite well, as it gave her some much needed time to recompose herself. she was inwardly grateful that neither Ayeka nor Tenchi made any attempts at instigating a conversation, be it small talk or a serious discussion pertaining to what had just happened, for she wasn't entirely certain she wouldn't snap at them. which was something neither of her friends deserved.

Ranma suppressed a fierce scowl with difficulty as her thoughts involuntarily returned to the cause of her ire, her efforts at trying to distract herself with going through the arsenal of techniques under her belt proving utterly futile. **'Just why the fuck did Ryoga have to be such a jerk?'** she thought angrily, her eyes narrowing.

The redhead didn't even notice that her feet led her automatically up the path that led up to the Masaki residence without conscious thought, her current home away from home, well, as much of a home as the Tendo Dojo had become in the last two years, so lost was she in her thoughts of why Ryoga Hibiki, one of her oldest rivals and sometimes friends had, after mysteriously appearing on the scene as he was wont to, resorted to using a lethal attack in what she had treated as one of their usual spars. A lethal attack Ryoga had vowed would never see the light of day again, to boot.

Grumbling to herself and muttering curses under her breath, Ranma absently pushed open the front door, only to be startled out of her dark musings by the unexpected presence of an older auburn-haired woman who was waiting for them in the entrance hall. Ranma was half-tempted to curse the Gods for bestowing upon her yet another headache, but the worried expression prevalent on her mother's face gave reason to hope that maybe, just maybe she wouldn't add fuel to the fire.

"Ranma, what happened? I heard explosions, but Washu-chan assured me that everything was alright. I'm not sure I should believe it, though. _Should_ I, dear?" Nodoka asked with her hands planted on her hips, a suspicious look adorning her face.

Ranma stopped her face from falling seeing as it seemed her hopes were about to be shattered, and the frown prevalent on her face deepened. a deep sigh escaped the younger redhead and she rubbed her temples, closing her eyes briefly before looking up at Nodoka. "Mind if we sit down in the living room first, mom? I could really do with a bit of sitting down," she muttered in hopes of delaying her likely fate, that being a stern talking-to and yet more evidence that everyone, even her mother, believed the worst of her.

Nodoka considered her son-turned-daughter's words for a moment before inclining her head. "Not at all, dear, so as long as I get to know what just happened."

"Promise, mom," Ranma agreed in a tone that hid her relief, her face relaxing a bit, and led her mother into the living room whence she plopped down on one of the many chairs. Ayeka, who was following as moral support, mirrored Ranma's actions, choosing to sit down next to her friend while Nodoka took a seat across from her daughter.

Once comfortably seated Ranma steepled her fingers and looked her mother in the eyes, yet a renewed twinge of pain from behind her eyes caused her to scrunch up her face in discomfort. "Before I give you an explanation you probably won't like, do you have some Midol on you, mom? My head's killing me," she muttered, having spontaneously decided to give Ayeka's suggestion a shot seeing as it could hardly get any worse.

Nodoka nodded. She'd indeed had the foresight to stash a small package of the painkillers due to the fact that she had anticipated how her son-turned-daughter had to be feeling seeing as it was her first menarche and produced the requested item, popped two pills into her palm and held her right hand out to her daughter. "I figured you'd need them at some point, dear," the older redhead commented with a knowing look, incidentally explaining why she had the painkillers on her.

Ranma took the proffered pills gratefully and helped herself to one of the bottles of water some thoughtful individual - likely Sasami - had placed on the table and gulped down the Midol, her face briefly scrunching up at the foreign taste of the medication. Looking at the large pot of tea and the china Ayeka's little sister had also placed on the table Ranma resolved to wash away the medication's taste as soon as was opportune.

A frown briefly played on her face as the thought crossed Ranma's mind that she, a master level martial artist with supreme control over her body was forced to resort to such means to reach a somewhat normal state of mind, but she knew full well that the alternative - her having a splitting headache and being moodier than Nabiki without her morning coffee - was less than desirable.

Sighing deeply Ranma leant back and briefly closed her eyes, hoping that her headache would soon be history. "That should hopefully do the trick, as bad as that stuff tastes it can only be good for me," she muttered and both Ayeka and Nodoka looked sympathetic. "You wanted to know what happened, mom? Well, I blew my top, completely. That happened."

A disapproving frown settled on Nodoka's face and she met her daughter's irritated gaze with a stern look. "The explosions and noises I heard made me think a war was being waged outside, and if this... occurrence was you expressing your displeasure at something I certainly hope you had a good reason," she said gravely.

"Mrs. Saotome, trust me when I say that Ranma had every reason to act as she did. I don't know if I'd shown as much restraint as she has," Ayeka spoke up, her posture regal and serious.

Nodoka, who'd turned to look at Ayeka as soon as the Crown Princess had begun to speak didn't miss the brief flicker of disbelief in her daughter's eyes, and it was like a stab through the heart. her child's reaction indicated that Ranma still operated under the assumption that next to no one believed a word she said and that everybody thought the worst of her, and she, her own mother, had just added to it.

The elder Saotome quickly inclined her head and swallowed her pride for Ranma's sake. "I didn't mean to imply that my daughter might not have had a just reason, Ayeka-san," she replied, turning her head to regard her son-turned-daughter who was unsuccessfully trying to mask her emotions with a small smile, "But ever since what happened... I'm worried. Gomen na-"

Nodoka didn't manage to finish the sentence seeing as a redheaded missile hugging the living daylights out of her interrupted her, Ranma's weight pressing the Saotome matriarch into the chair she was sitting in. The older redhead quickly pulled her daughter fully into her lap and enveloped her in a loose hug, completely aware of just how emotionally fragile Ranma was due to her menarche and certain other circumstances like what happened to Kasumi which only served to compound the situation.

A smile settled on Nodoka's face as she stroked her child's hair and muttered soothing words of comfort. A wistful sigh almost escaped her seeing as comforting Ranma like this brought home on just how much she'd missed out in her child's life. **'Never again,'** Nodoka vowed to herself, **'and come there hell or high water, I'll be there for Ranma, my daughter, and my son.'**

Soon Ranma had calmed down, and the redhead blushed to her roots when she realised just how embarrassing her position looked. an eighteen year old sitting in her mother's lap, cuddled up to her like a five year old girl. Ayeka whereas just smiled, and as if sensing Ranma's thoughts waved her right hand airily. "It's alright to let out your feelings, Ranma-chan, and we're all friends here, so think nothing of it," she assured the younger girl with a smile.

Ranma returned a smile of her own that conveyed her gratefulness. "Thanks, Ayeka-chan. For understanding, and for being my friend," she replied with a smile that was returned by the Juraian teen, and Ranma turned her head to look up at her smiling mother, "Thank you as well, mom. It's nice to know that you care about me, that you're there for me."

"Always, Ranma-chan," Nodoka said instantly and so solemnly that Ranma couldn't help but smile at her mother's sincerity. it was almost enough to wash away the constant worry she felt for her love, almost.

Having recomposed herself Ranma retired almost reluctantly from her comfortable position in her mother's lap and reclaimed her chair. Taking a deep breath she pasted a serious expression on her face and quickly launched into an explanation of what had happened. "The four of us, Ryoko, Ayeka, Tenchi and me were training when Ryoga suddenly appeared. I could tell right away he wanted to vent some steam, so we fought. Business as usual, nothing special, really. Then something happened, and my mood suddenly changed and I became so angry that I... turned him into a human pretzel. He made me so mad!"

Nodoka looked from her daughter to Ayeka, whose facial expression conveyed a message every female understood. Ryoga had done something incredibly stupid, Ranma's hormones had cooked over as a result and Ryoga had paid the price for not running away fast enough. "I see. Considering your situation I understand, dear. The next time someone makes you mad during your time please refrain from blowing them up or turning them into shapes they're not meant to be, though," she scolded, her tone of voice dry enough to peel paint.

"Yes, mother," Ranma muttered softly and bowed her head while thinking, **'Just why the heck are mothers so damn good at making their children feel like scolded five year olds?' **

"In Ranma's defence, I have to add that the attack was wholly unprovoked," Ayeka remarked, a frown adorning her face. "Ranma assured us that it was just a 'friendly spar', but it looked very differently. An objective observer would have concluded that this Ryoga was trying to _kill_ Ranma."

"Is this true?" Nodoka asked sternly, her attention returning to her daughter.

Ranma was playing with her fingers for a few moments, but then she finally looked up, meeting her mother's eyes. "It might've looked like, mom, but Ryoga... he wouldn't do that. Something's happened and he needed a sparring-match to vent, is all," she mused almost to herself, her forehead crinkling in thought. "But something was... wrong. He used the Shi Shi Hokodan, which was what made me so mad, for he had he sworn he'd gotten rid of that accursed technique."

At seeing the puzzled looks of the other women Ranma explained Ryoga's technique based on depression-ki, eliciting understanding looks. "And ever since he got together with Akari we thought his depression was cured. That he used this attack means something Bad has to have happened," the redhead concluded, worry tingeing her voice.

"You could say that, Ranma," came a sheepish male voice from the door. Ryoga's voice.

All heads whipped towards him and Nodoka noticed that her daughter still seemed to be quite cross with him, seeing as she was giving him the evil eye. The Saotome matriarch was impressed that Ranma had perfected the technique so quickly, and there couldn't be a doubt about its effectivity, for Ryoga seemed to be suitably cowed and remained rooted to the spot in the doorframe.

"A tough friend you got there, Ranma-chan," Washu piped up, emerging from behind Ryoga, who noticeably tried to unobtrusively inch away from the diminutive scientist. "Just a broken hand, arm, several bruises and a cracked ankle. Impressive after hearing what you did to him. Needless to say, healing him was no challenge at all for a genius like me. Do you think he'd mind coming to my lab for some exams after he has explained why he's here?" she asked in a mischievous tone of voice.

"That's solely up to him, Washu-chan," Ranma replied with an undertone that conveyed she'd not really mind if Washu incarcerated him in her lab for some lengthy and thorough examinations.

"Mother," Ryoko interrupted sternly before Washu could begin to talk Ryoga into something he'd regret later, "Not now."

"Spoilsport," Washu grumbled and smacked her left hand into her right palm, muttering about 'ungrateful, interfering children' under her breath.

"Hey Ryoko," Ranma called, inwardly amused at the childish pout the genius scientist was displaying at having had her fun busted by her daughter, "Where'd you disappear to?"

"I accompanied mom to the lab in case he," she pointed her thumb at Ryoga, "tried something. Friend or not, someone who fires an energy blast like that is on my shit list."

Ayeka inclined her head, "For once I agree with the mon… with Ryoko," she agreed and caught herself just in time, noticing the surprised and then pleased look on Ryoko's face while simultaneously fixing Ryoga with a stern look, "Your behaviour went well beyond the pale."

Ryoga's reaction to that consisted of him lowering his head in embarrassment and shame. "Gomen nasai. I... lost it."

"Yeah. At me, who hadn't done a thing to merit being on the receiving end of a blasted Shi Shi Hokodan," Ranma grumbled, making Ryoga sigh deeply.

"Can say that again, Red," Ryoko muttered and turned her head to look at Ryoga, her glance steely, "So, if you 'n' Red are sparring partners, why _did_ you attack her with an attack like that?" she asked the lost boy. "Not even I'd try to blast Princess here," she jabbed her thumb in Ayeka's direction, "to pieces in one of our sparring matches. So what the hell's wrong with ya?"

Ryoga, well aware that everybody was looking at him, and disapprovingly at that, sighed deeply and plopped down into an empty seat. Ryoko, awaiting her answer, did the same for a change instead of floating up to her usual place on the beam, and even Washu sat down. Tenchi, who'd thought it wiser to stay well clear of the women until things had calmed down somewhat, arrived from the kitchen sipping from a coke bottle and sat down in one of the empty chairs as well.

"That's everyone for now, and you heard what Ryoko said. Start explaining yourself," Ayeka said in her most regal attitude.

"Before you start, though," Washu interrupted with a look at Ryoga that stopped him dead in his tracks and caused annoyed looks from the others, "I have something for you, Ranma. My sensors told me you're having a rather… difficult time. Take one of these pills twice a day, it should help," the diminutive scientist said with a knowing look.

Ranma searched Washu's eyes for a few moments before bowing and gulped down a pill with some water right away. at the same time she sent a glare Ryoga's way. "_Now_ kindly explain yourself, Ryoga. What crawled up your ass and died and made you decide to attack me?"

Ryoga gulped, sighed and managed to look embarrassed all at once. "You know I'm not good at this, and I'm sure you know how hard this is on me," he sighed, "but… for all it's worth, I'm sorry if I did something that offended you, Ranma."

"You mean aside from firing off that lethal attack at Red?" Ryoko asked sarcastically.

"Err, yeah. The attack and our matches are normal for us..." Ryoga answered, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"How so, young man? I don't approve of you or anyone attacking my only daughter," Nodoka interjected with a stern look.

This comment courtesy of Ranma's mother threw Ryoga completely for a loop, and sighing softly he came to the conclusion that his unique sense of direction or rather the lack thereof might just have finally done it, after all this time. It had apparently landed him in a bizarre parallel dimension. "Excuse me Saotome-san, did you just say 'daughter'?"

"Why yes. Ranma is my daughter just as much as she is my son," Nodoka stated in the breast-tone of conviction.

Ryoga was slowly but surely becoming more and more convinced that his off-shoot theory of having ended up in a parallel dimension might have some merit after all. "What? Your daughter just as much as your son? Ranma?"

"Anything wrong with that?" Ranma asked a bit crossly, and although she'd calmed down somewhat she was not willing to let Ryoga off the hook just yet. "Never saw a mother call her daughter 'daughter'?" she demanded, making Ryoga splutter.

"Ranma, using that tone of voice was not nice. Please behave like the young lady you are," Nodoka scolded, catching onto what Ranma had in mind.

"Yes, mother, I'm sorry," Ranma replied and bowed her head.

Both women had to hide their smirks at seeing the completely flabbergasted look on Ryoga's face. "Err… err…" was all he managed to utter.

The redhead raised her head, looked calmly at her mother and ignored the amused looks her friends were displaying with some difficulty. "Do you think he's broke?" she asked in a mildly curious tone of voice.

Nodoka surveyed the catatonic Hibiki youth for a few moments, the mildly curious expression she'd pasted on her own face coming much easier to her due to her greater experience. "It sure looks this way. Pass me the tea, dear?"

"Sure, mother," Ranma said and did just that, exhibiting perfect table manners and feminine grace.

"Thank you, dear," Nodoka replied with an inclination of her head as she accepted the pot, and the older redhead was inwardly proud of the acting skills and adaptability her child was displaying.

"WHAT IN THE NINE HELLS IS GOING ON HERE? AND WHERE _IS_ HERE? THIS CAN'T BE THE DIMENSION WHERE I'M FROM! WHERE I'M FROM RANMA'S MOTHER WOULD HAVE HIS HEAD IF HE BEHAVED LIKE THIS! WHICH WOULD BE UTTER SHIT AS I'D LOSE ONE OF THE FEW FRIENDS I HAVE! SO WHERE THE HELL AM I? AND HOW DO I GET BACK?" yelled a confused Ryoga.

"Now, now, young man, there is no need to yell," Nodoka calmly said and placed the cup of tea she'd just helped herself to on the table. "I'm happy you see my child as a friend, but I fear I'll have to insist that you stop attacking my daughter like you did recently. You will be happy to hear that you are still in your… what would you call it, Washu-chan?"

"Home dimension, Nodoka-san. A look at his quantum-signature should easily prove... Wait a sec..." she said and pulled one of her gadgets out of thin air, scanning Ryoga with an intrigued expression, "What's that?" she muttered to herself, her eyebrows shooting up.

"What is what?" everyone seemed to ask at the same time with bated breaths.

"Oh, nothing to worry about, it's just some dirt on the display, everything's okay. Apparently forgot to clean it," Washu said too innocently, causing everyone to face-vault.

"Suuuure, Washu-chan," Ranma exclaimed with a half-lidded stare, "Tell us another one."

"Thank you, Washu-chan," Nodoka interjected before things could spiral out of control. "You see, you're still in your home dimension, young man. Whatever gave you the idea it could be otherwise?"

"Err, mom, that would be because of his sense of direction. Or the lack thereof. Don't take this the wrong way, Ryoga," Ranma explained in Ryoga's stead, half-surprised that she'd matured as much as that she was able to consider Ryoga's feelings, "but he has absolutely no sense of direction. He can literally get lost in a closet, and I wouldn't put it past him to be able to cross dimensions like other people cross streets."

"Hey!" Ryoga exclaimed in a miffed tone, but a lidded stare from Ranma and the fact that she hadn't insulted him over it made him sigh. "What Ranma just said is true, Saotome-san. My lousy sense of direction is a family curse, and unfortunately it makes us Hibikis get lost, and by lost I mean that we can literally pop up on a completely different continent from one moment to the next. Sadly my parents have it too, both of then, seeing as they're distant cousins, and I got a double dose. It's been over half a year since I've last seen my folks," he said sadly and hung his head.

The sadness in his voice left nobody untouched, and the occupants of the room tried to imagine what it would be like if you could be ripped away from your familiar surroundings at any given moment, only to reappear in a completely alien part of the world without knowing when you'd be back. it had to be unsettling and depressing, and almost explained why he'd attacked Ranma, because of their history and due to the fact that she could take anything he threw at her.

Ranma sighed and looked at her mother. "I was the one who always led him to and fro school in our junior high time, every day. It's nothing to get embarrassed over, Ryoga," she said empathically with a reassuring look at a quite ashamed looking Hibiki youth, "you can't help it."

Ryoga still had the feeling that he had entered another dimension. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Ranma Saotome? The Ranma I know would never be so… so considerate!"

Ranma was hard pressed to hide her amusement at Ryoga's reaction and just barely managed to turn her giggle into a cough. Deciding not to overly torment Ryoga she took pity on him, and quickly brought him up to speed.

The lost boy was understandably relieved once everything had been explained, and he slowly shook his head when everything had sunken in, a low whistle escaping him. "Damn, _that_ happened to Kasumi? Poor Akane must really feel bad," he muttered with a sigh, "But Kasumi... She... he, whatever is really brave to handle the situation this well. I always thought there was more to her but that... she must really love you, Ranma."

"He too," Ranma mused with a smile that reached her eyes. "It was really weird at first but now I don't mind being his girlfriend any longer when I'm a girl. That I nearly lost him forever changed a lot of my views, that I can tell ya. I love him as much as I love her. And I'm not afraid of showing my feelings any longer."

"Wow," was all Ryoga could think to say while Nodoka literally beamed. Her child had grown up so much!

"You can say that again," Ranma mused with a smile, glad that her relationship with Ryoga had changed. in former times he'd not have hesitated to taunt her endlessly. It was good that this was in the past. "A lot has happened, and I've changed, Ryoga."

"Sure seems that way. And here I go and dump my problems on you," he said with a sigh.

"You can say that again, bub," Ryoko exclaimed with a snort.

"Indeed," Ayeka said, frowning at Ryoga, "So tell me, how can it be normal behaviour to yell a battle-cry and attack someone?"

"It's not his fault. Ryoga and I have a rocky past and our usual way of meeting is what you just witnessed," Ranma explained in Ryoga's stead and tried to make herself as comfortable as possible.

Ryoga saw her squirm and thought this a good opportunity to confirm his suspicions. "Everything okay, Ranma?"

The redhead glared. "You try having your innards scraped out by a giant cheese-grater and see how you bloody like it!" she snapped irritably.

"Ranma!" Nodoka chastised, "Watch your language or I'll wash out that mouth of yours. You may be my eighteen years old daughter but so Kami-sama help me, I'll do it!"

"Sorry, mom," Ranma mumbled, not sounding apologetic in the least.

"So it's true. You're on your period, aren't you?" Ryoga asked, grimacing.

"Yeah," Ranma growled out. "But don't try to distract us. Why did you need to vent?"

"I made a mistake, Ranma. A big one," the lost boy sighed and dropped his head in his hands.

"And what did you do? Maybe I can help," the redhead suggested, her bad mood forgotten.

Ryoga chuckled despite the serious situation. Prior to Jusendo he had never noticed that Ranma was always willing to offer help if one really needed it, even if his/her efforts often ended up making things worse. or maybe he had not wanted to notice, so that his former world-view could remain intact. A world view that had been shattered nicely today. "Why the heck not? But would you mind if I told you in private? It's embarrassing."

Ryoko was tempted to demand he tell them here and now but a look and a shake of the head from Tenchi stopped her. "Okay. We can talk in the kitchen," Ranma said and got up.

Ryoga followed suit but Nodoka clearing her throat stopped them. "You'll not remain in a room together without supervision. You have already attacked my daughter once today, young man, who tells me you're not going to do it again?"

The younger redhead tried to explain to her mother that Ryoga would never do that but Nodoka remained stern. Little did Ranma and Ryoga know that Nodoka knew the whole history between the two and that she was curious to know what had happened now.

"Fine, mother," Ranma relented with a sigh and led the way.

-.-

While the usual residents of the Masaki house had busied themselves - Washu had returned to her lab and the three teens had gone outside to practice the moves Ranma had taught them - two Saotomes and one Hibiki were seated in the kitchen, Ranma and Nodoka watching Ryoga with expectant faces.

The lost boy sighed once more. "I really screwed up this time, Ranma. It... It was Akari. She... She asked me to marry her."

Ranma's face lit up despite the discomfort that was her constant companion. "But that's wonderful news, Ryoga!"

"But it's not! I… I totally lost my head, Ranma! I didn't know how to react, my mind closed down and I ran away. Right through a wall or three. The next thing I knew was that I was staring at these giant falls. And it was hot, very hot. Ever since then I stumbled around until my sense of direction led me here. What can I do, Ranma? I can't face Akari! I'm totally and utterly dishonoured! I chickened out!" he exclaimed in despair, looking ready to rip out his hair.

The redhead looked at her sometimes rival/sometimes friend with compassion. "You're not dishonoured, Ryoga. Look at me," she commanded, and a still downcast looking Ryoga did. "Good. Do you love Akari?"

Ryoga was surprised by this simple question but nodded nevertheless. "Yes. More than my life."

Ranma smiled knowingly, well knowing how that felt. "I thought so. Ryoga, I think I know why you 'chickened out', and it's not just 'cause you had a serious bout of cold feet. You're afraid that you'll have to settle down if you marry her, aren't you? You're afraid you'll be chained to the farm once you're married to Akari, doncha?" she asked, her tone soft.

Ryoga bowed his head and engaged in some serious soul-searching before suddenly looking up at Ranma, surprise prevalent on his face. "Yeah, you're right, that's the feeling I couldn't put my finger on," he said in a thoughtful tone, "But how did you know?"

"Because I know exactly how you feel," Ranma replied solemnly, "That's exactly what Mr. Tendo and pops wanted to pressure me and Akane into. They wanted to chain me to the Tendo dojo, and maybe they still do," the redhead mused with a thoughtful expression on her face. "But people like us don't like to be chained to a place. We need our freedom every now and then, even if we should decide to settle down one day. I know that I want it for me, and I'm fairly certain you want that too."

The lost boy surveyed Ranma with obvious surprise on his face while Nodoka was looking thoughtful herself. "When did you become so… wise, Ranma?" Ryoga finally asked, his dark eyes intently curious.

"I've just begun to use my brain for more than martial arts, Ryoga. Ka-kun helped a lot in that regard," she answered and looked momentarily sad.

"He'll be up and about soon, dear," Nodoka assured and laid a hand on her daughter's arm.

Ranma smiled at her mother, grasped the hand and squeezed softly before letting go. "Thanks, mom. Ryoga," she said, looking back at him, "why don't you go back to Akari's farm and have a talk with her? Tell her that you love her and that you would gladly marry her, but that you need your freedom from time to time, just to get out of the house."

"Yes, I'm sure your fiancée can respect this, young man," Nodoka added, "If you were chained to one place you would grow dissatisfied rather sooner than later. I know this all too well from my husband. That is why I allowed him to go on those training trips of his. Although the one he took Ranma on was a big mistake…"

Now it was Ranma's turn to lay a hand on her mothers' arm. "But some good things did come out of it, mother. So don't dwell on it. It wasn't your fault," she said softly, and smiled when a grateful looking Nodoka repeated her actions from a few moments ago.

While Ryoga asked himself ever since when Ranma had gotten so good with words Nodoka smiled thankfully at her daughter and let go of her hand. "Thanks, dear. I needed that," she said and recomposed herself. With determination shining brightly in her eyes she looked at Ryoga. "Even if it's not always easy for the partners in a marriage, each partner needs time to their own. I'm sure your fiancée will understand if you tell her that you need to dedicate time and occasion to your own training trips. As long as you do not get carried away like my husband, everything should be fine."

Ranma grinned, and even Ryoga managed a smile. He wouldn't have believed it but it seemed as if Ranma had really been able to help him. and here he'd only wanted to vent his frustration. "Thank you, Ranma, Mrs. Saotome. You've really helped me and I apologise once more for my actions."

The redhead grinned at him. "Aww, think nothing of it. Whenever you want to spar just stop by."

"Ranma!" Nodoka exclaimed. "It's not lady-like to get involved in brawls!"

"Aww mom! I ain't no lady! I'm a tomboy at best. 'sides, Ryoga and me have sparred for as long as I can remember."

"That's right, Mrs. Saotome. We… err…" Ryoga trailed off, seeing the dark and disapproving look on Nodoka Saotome's face.

Ranma didn't give up however, as giving up was simply not part of her vocabulary. "Momma, I need my training. It's not different from sparring with Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko. 'sides, if Ryoga and me stopped sparring he'd slack off!"

"Yeah!" Ryoga exclaimed before stopping to think. "_What_?"

The redhead waved his protests away. "Ryoga must be capable of defending Akari at all events, and we can assure that through our sparring, mom. Just because it ain't ladylike it doesn't mean it ain't necessary."

Nodoka thought her daughter's words over and could not deny their logic. "I see your point, dear. I will allow it as long as your fights don't escalate. And watch your language, young lady. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" two voices chorused, even if for different reasons.

The Saotome matriarch smiled inwardly. Even though her daughter still displayed rough manners from time to time she had improved over-all. A month ago she would have been hopelessly lost in an argument like the one they had just had as well but now that Ranma had started to use her brain for things aside from martial arts she was displaying an intellect that shouldn't be underestimated. **'Good. It's high time she started thinking things through for herself,'** Nodoka thought.

"Err, Ranma," Ryoga began, looking at the redhead, "could you help me to get to Akari's farm? I've been gone for over a day now and surely she's worried… at least I hope so."

Ranma nodded immediately. "Sure. I'll ask Washu-chan if she can help us. She's a real genius, so if anyone can get you there in no time it's her. See you later, mom," she said with a smile and waved at her mother before getting to her feet and walking out of the kitchen.

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Saotome. I'll follow your advice," he said and bowed.

Nodoka got up from her chair and bowed back. "I wish you the best of luck, young man, and I hope you give your mother some cute grandchildren," she teased.

"Moooom! Isn't it enough that you're always embarrassing poor ole me?" Ranma exclaimed from the doorframe with her hands planted on her hips as she waited for a blushing Ryoga. "Honestly."

-.-

Due to the fact that Ranma knew how to get into the lab and seeing as she had been cleared to enter at any given time, it took only five minutes to corner Washu and explain the situation to her. A situation that left the resident genius scientist intrigued. "So you're saying that he has a family curse that makes him get lost? Intriguing. Would you like me to check if I can get rid of it?"

To Ranma's surprise Ryoga shook his head. "I have to get back to my girlfriend as soon as possible before she thinks I've gotten lost for good. If I don't return soon she might think I won't return and even if I do she'll probably dump me," Ryoga rambled.

"Another time," Ranma mouthed to Washu who shrugged her shoulders. Who was she to force her scientific genius on others?

"So… how about a GPS-unit? Ever tried one of those?" Washu asked.

"Yes," Ryoga admitted disgruntled. "Bloody things won't work because of my family curse. Every damn GPS unit in a radius of two miles of a Hibiki gets confused. Low quality models even blow up."

The redheaded scientist rose a delicate brow before smirking broadly. "Then I have just the thing for you. This GPS unit is so heavily shielded against undesirable outside influence not even an atomic explosion could confuse it. Here, give it a try. Just push this button here," she pointed at said button to indicate it, "and it will activate."

An unconvinced Ryoga took the device and looked at it, obviously expecting the thing to disintegrate the instant he actually activated it. Finally, hesitantly, he did push the button and held the device at arms-length, only to receive a pleasant surprise as the GPS unit beeped once and announced its operational status.

Washu smirked. "See? Works perfectly. Oh yeh unfaithful, simple minded people…" she muttered and threw her hands into the air in a gesture of exasperation before returning her attention to her tinker toys.

Ryoga looked at Ranma and arched a brow, conveying the message 'Is that normal?' upon which Ranma shrugged and nodded. "Err, thanks Miss Washu."

The muttering scientist turned towards him and smiled sweetly. "You're welcome. And puu-leaze, call me Washu-chan," she said in a tone that indicated it was no suggestion.

"Sure… err, Washu-chan," Ryoga stuttered, who had always had problems with imposing women.

"Washu-chan, could you add the detailed coordinates of Nerima and the other wards of Tokyo into the GPS unit?" Ranma asked. "On second thought, a detailed map of the world would probably be a good idea, too."

"Hey!" Ryoga exclaimed in an irritated tone of voice.

Washu simply nodded. "Sure, Ranma-chan. I have a direct satellite-uplink to my own private satellite, so that would be too easy. Don't you have anything more challenging?" she asked with a grin.

Ranma grinned back. "If you want a challenge, you can add the coordinates of the Tendo Dojo, the Unryuu farm, this house, Ryoga's home address, Furinkan High and my address in Nerima into it. And a detailed map of Japan, all the islands, prefectures, cities, the works. That enough of a challenge?"

Washu's grin deepened as she jumped up into the air and was soon seated in her spectral chair. seconds later her spectral keyboard appeared and Ryoga's eyes got as wide as saucer plates. "Not even close, Ranma-chan. There, all done," she said smirking just a few seconds later, and handed the GPS unit to an astonished Hibiki youth.

The said lost boy just couldn't believe it. This GPS unit in his hand should now hold the coordinates of all these addresses, and a map of Japan and the world to boot? Without noticing it the lost boy applied pressure to the GPS unit. "Ryoga… don't destroy that thing before you've even used it," warned Ranma.

The other redhead jumped to the ground and waved that away. "Not going to happen. Considering what I'm dealing with on a daily basis I made it almost indestructible. You'll enjoy its uses for a long time to come, Mr. Hibiki, if you don't place it at ground zero of an atomic explosion, that is."

The lost boy looked at the solution to his one major problem in wonder. Not only would it lead him to where he wanted to go at all times, but it would be nearly impossible to destroy! Considering his usual luck that was an awesome present. Tears of joy leaked into his eyes, eyes that exuded immense gratefulness. "Thank you, Washu-chan, thank you! You have no idea how much you've helped me."

Washu presented warding signs and shot Ryoga a stern look. "If you try to hug me I'll have to kill you."

Ryoga, who'd been carried away by his happiness and been about to do just that stopped dead in his tracks. "Err… right. Thank you for your help, Washu-chan," he said with a nervous chuckle and bowed formally, ignoring the muffled giggles of amusement emanating from Ranma who apparently found his reaction quite amusing.

"You're welcome. If you ever want to have your family curse looked at, you now know where you can find us. As for that, Ranma, do you think it wise that the coordinates of this house are stored in his GPS unit while you're here?" Washu asked with a frown.

Ranma grimaced. "I've seen the problem this poses as well but Ryoga needs to know where we live in case he wants to spar, or in case something else comes up. And I trust Ryoga. Is there no way to modify that thingy so that he'd be the only one able to access the data?"

Washu inclined her head and placed her left index finger on her chin in a thoughtful gesture. "There are ways, several in fact, but they could all be overcome by a person who is determined enough," she mused. "The safest method would be to integrate a finger-print and retina-scanner as well as an aura scanner. Hand me the device, Mr. Hibiki."

Ryoga did just that and Washu disappeared into another section of her lab, only to return two minutes later. Holding the GPS unit thusly so that Ryoga and Ranma could see it she pressed a newly added button. "This will activate the retina- and finger print scanner. They're so small that they take up hardly any space, and they are reliable to a fault. Press your finger on the surface here, Mr. Hibiki," she explained and Ryoga did just that. "Good. And now hold it thusly… yes, like that… and the scanner will be tuned to your iris. Very good.

"Now press this button here- yeah, that one. It scans and records your aura, adding additional safety to the package. Good, it's complete. Any time you want to use it you have to follow this procedure, and you can rest assured that no one aside from you will be able to use it. A satisfying solution, I'd say."

Ranma and Ryoga easily agreed. "Very impressive, Washu-chan. Thank you once more. I have to take my leave now. Fate doesn't wait for anyone one or something like that," the lost boy mused idly.

"But Mr. Hibiki, you haven't seen the rest of my lab yet. Are you sure you want to leave already?" Washu-chan asked in a cute voice.

"Yes, Washu-chan, we are sure," Ranma answered for a flustered Ryoga.

"Spoilsport," Washu retorted with a huff.

Ranma simply winked at her. "See you later, Washu-chan."

"Yeah, yeah. Just steal my fun, will ya…" came the grumbled reply.

The redhead shook her head in amusement at Washu's antics and led an unresisting Ryoga out of the lab. She had learned her lesson in the meantime. As thankful as she was that Washu had saved her love and was practically the guarantor of his recovery she had no intention to become a guinea pig for the little scientist. and Ryoga had just no time to become one, and that probably a lot more literally than her.

-.-

Once they'd exited the lab the two teens went outside to where Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko were sparring and came to a stop a good distance away, neither even stopping to cherish the wonderful weather as their complete attention was focussed on the sparring teens right away. Ryoga observed them critically and was impressed by what he saw. "They're pretty good, Ranma, surprisingly so. How long have they been training?"

"Ever since yesterday, in the Anything Goes style, at least," she answered calmly, and seeing his dumbstruck look she elaborated, her expression serious and solemn, "Those three are warriors, Ryoga. They've fought battles neither of us could even begin to imagine, and I'm learning as much as I'm teaching here. Which is good, for somehow I've got the feeling that we'll need all the skill and power we can get in the future. I don't know why I got that feeling, but my inner voice is screaming at me to drive the others and myself to our limits and beyond to be prepared for anything. After what happened to Kasumi I'd be stupid to ignore my gut feeling."

Ryoga nodded, understanding showing in his brown eyes. "Trust your instincts, Ranma. They've always been good. I'll try to stop by as often as possible so we can spar. Take care, and thanks for everything," he said and waved. "I'll try to keep you up to date."

Then, how so often, Ryoga Hibiki was gone.

-.-

As soon as Ryoga had disappeared Ranma rejoined the three other teens, enthusiasm welling up inside of her as she watched the three spar. She knew then more than ever that she had a lot to teach as well as a lot to learn, just as she'd told Ryoga a few minutes ago. "Hey guys," she called after she had watched Ayeka and Ryoko battle it out. Tenchi had been doing the kata she had shown them and the redhead was satisfied with what she had seen. "Good form, Tenchi. Just raise your arms a tad more while performing the eighth move. And you two, well done. But remember to look more actively for holes in the defences of your opponent. In a battle every advantage has to be used. Now have another go at it."

Her students nodded obediently and Ranma smiled. It was fun to instruct them as they were so adaptive and willing to learn and had lots and lots of skill to contribute. that and they were trusting her, which was still a new experience for the redhead seeing as no one else beside Kasumi and in recent times her mother had ever put any trust in her. The smile slowly faded off her face to be replaced by a solemn expression, and Ranma vowed to never ever abuse that trust.

To be trusted felt good, and now she really knew what she'd been missing out on up till now. No one had really ever trusted her, neither her father nor her mother, although the latter had made an amazing turn around lately. And her friends... Well, the others in Nerima had only ever trusted her to bring trouble along, even if it was not by her own making half of the time.

Not that that had ever stopped them from blaming her for everything that went wrong, and they had expected that she'd always save the day despite everything nonetheless. Trust being placed in her had been an alien concept not too long ago. Which was particularly due to one person. **'Akane... no, don't even go there, Saotome. It's over and done with. I only hope she can ever trust me enough to become friends. But now I gotta concentrate. They're trusting me here, so I don't gotta botch it up.'**

Pasting what she'd dubbed her sensei-face onto her face Ranma clapped her hands, making the combatants stop in their tracks and turning to face her, expectant and attentive expressions on their faces. "Good attack, Ayeka. Use a leg-sweep in ways of a follow-up next time. Ryoko, next time keep better track of your opponent's movements. You can't always assume that your toughness will protect you. So don't forget your deff."

The two, having listened to Ranma's 'words of wisdom' in rapt attention, nodded as one and immediately resumed their spar, looks of intense concentration on their faces. Ranma, seeing this devotion, smiled proudly and turned her attention to her third student, Tenchi, and proceeded to occasionally correct his moves.

All things considered she was very pleased with the progress her students were making. Due to the fact that they'd already garnered experience in battle it was easy to teach them.

Ranma had just corrected one of Tenchi's moves when she watched a rather spectacular exchange of blows between Ryoko and Ayeka. The latter had launched a high kick at Ryoko's head which was blocked by the cyan-haired woman's left arm. Just as she had advised Ayeka followed up with a leg-sweep but Ryoko had heeded her advice too. She had watched Ayeka's movements and was prepared.

The alien girl jumped up and used her ability of flight to somersault high over Ayeka's head, and still in mid-jump she fired an energy-blast. Ayeka, who had whirled around and jumped upwards had had the same idea, and the blasts hit each other and cancelled the other out in a cacophony of sound and brilliant lights. The girls landed both at the same time in defensive stances round about ten metres apart and were grinning at each other, ready to go at it again when they heard clapping.

Ranma had a big smile on her face as she walked closer. "Not bad, you two, not bad at all. Granted, there's still room for loads of improvement, but..."

"Slave driver," Ryoko interjected playfully. Ayeka nodded in acquiescence and managed to keep her face regal, only her twinkling eyes giving away that she wasn't serious.

"That she is," agreed Tenchi with a smile. "But a good sensei she is too."

Ranma inclined her head and smirked. "I'm the best. Hey look, there's Sasami and Mihoshi! I see the chance to get some food here..."

Her friends and students groaned in unison and rolled their eyes in mock-disbelief. "How can you be hungry again?" asked Tenchi in exasperation. "Breakfast wasn't that long ago."

"Yes, and where do you keep it? There doesn't seem to be an ounce of fat on you," Ayeka interjected, sounding slightly envious.

Ranma grinned and put her hands behind her head, saying, "Good genes, lots of exercise and a bowl of cereals each morning," while Ryoko mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "cereals my ass". "Seriously, that's one of the benefits of training so much. You develop one hell of an appetite but you won't get fat. Wait until we start on the ki-building exercises. You'll love it!"

"About that," Tenchi interjected, his gaze eager, "when do you think we can start on them?"

The redhead thought for a moment. "We should be able to start on the really advanced stuff in about four weeks. Then we can incorporate it. But I'll show you the basic ki-building exercises today. They're easy and you can practise them throughout the whole day. Even when you're doing everyday stuff."

"Wicked," was Tenchi's opinion and the girls easily agreed.

"Hey," Ryoko interjected as she remembered something that could be of use to further their training, "We could ask Washu if she has finished assembling the artificial koi yet. Would be cool."

Tenchi and Ayeka nodded in agreement, but all three of Ranma's students grew apprehensive when they saw the unholy light shining in the redhead's eyes. "Capital idea, Ryoko. Oh, the fun training I'm gonna put you through," she trailed off, and just barely resisted the urge to cackle madly.

Ryoko sweatdropped, but put on the spot she had no choice but to see her suggestion through. "I'm on it," she said and concentrated. "Okay," she said ten seconds later, carefully hiding the relief she was feeling, "Washu just told me she had an unexpected drawback. The koi won't be ready for a few days yet."

Ranma grumbled, her face set in a frown. "Meh, and here I was looking forward to seeing you three sweat. Okay, that means more hand-to-hand in the next few days."

Groans were her answer, but her students accepted their fate albeit grumbling seeing as Ranma's training was doing wonders for their hand-to-hand skills. The redhead grinned, and drove her students all the harder.

-.-

In the next few days nothing major happened as training continued. Ranma got used to having her time, and the redhead had researched several topics that had piqued her interest in her free time, most of them pertaining to the female body, and her situation. Her mother had begun her girl-training in earnest as well, including how to speak and behave properly, and, of course, everything that pertained to being a girl in general. It was also a time of bonding between a mother who'd never considered it possible to have a daughter and a daughter who'd never expected to be a daughter.

Due to Ranma experiencing a biological process that was as feminine as they came the younger redhead was much more open to what her mother had to teach her, and the nagging voice in the back of her head that insisted she should cling to her manliness at all events despite everything grew progressively more silent. that was not lest due to the fact that Ranma had found out that embracing her femininity didn't mean she had to give up who she was inside, Ranma Saotome, a boy when a boy and a girl when a girl.

To Ranma's immense relief she had managed to stay well clear of dresses and skirts seeing as her mother had finally accepted that while female she, Ranma, still strived to be the young woman _she_ wanted to be, and wearing frilly dresses and skirts just wasn't her. Nodoka had been saddened thereby and had bemoaned that she wouldn't have a chance to see her daughter pose in lots of elegant dresses.

Yet, her mother had recovered quickly and had promised her one heck of a shopping trip once Kasumi came out of the tank, and her mother, persistent as she was, had somehow talked her into acquiring at least some skirts and summer dresses - all of her, Ranma's, choosing - as well. Boy, was she looking forward to that. Not.

-.-

The week flew by and before anyone knew it was Wednesday evening. No one expected this particular Wednesday evening to be any different from the previous evenings, and the four teens were engrossed in an intense two-on-two fight as they were wont to in an effort to increase their team-work skills.

Ryoko and Ranma were double-teaming Tenchi and Ayeka, and Ryoko had just blocked a volley of blasts from Ayeka when her face suddenly scrunched up. The battle halted instantly, seeing that everyone knew that Ryoko had just received a telepathic message. "Washu," she said unsurprisingly. "She said we should meet her in the lab, not more."

"Damn," Ranma muttered, feeling a bit dejected at having to postpone a fight that had been great fun. "And here I was looking forward to cleaning both of your clocks with Ryoko here. Not to mention having another opportunity to enjoy Sasami's heavenly food afterwards," she trailed off, a dreamy look on her face.

The others rolled their eyes in unified amusement. "If there ever was a walking stomach, then it's gotta be her," Ryoko stated, amusement tingeing her voice.

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!" Ranma exclaimed indignantly, her hands planted on her hips. "Besides, that's sooo not true!"

Tenchi grinned impishly. "Ryoko's right, Ranma, you eat more than all of us put together," he teased, and turned to look at the former space pirate, completely ignoring Ranma's pout. "How about you teleport us in?"

"Sure," the cyan-haired girl answered. "You know the drill. Just hold on to me."

The three other teens did and seconds later they were gone.

-.-

Ryoko had teleported them straight into the main-lab area seeing as she had received knowledge of her mother's location from their telepathic conversation. Washu was seated in her spectral chair as so often, typing away on an equally spectral keyboard. "Ah, there you are. And just in time."

"What do you have for us, Washu-chan?" a curious Tenchi asked, acting as a spokesman for the girls.

The diminutive scientist leant back in her spectral chair, a self-satisfied look adorning her face. "First off, the artificial koi you wanted are ready. Secondly, I've already taken it upon myself to create a training room for your usage. the door to the room is right next to the one that leads to the entrance level of my lab. I figured a room in close proximity to the kitchen would come in handy considering the training you're facing," she said with a smirk at Ranma.

"Heh heh heh, how _thoughtful_ of you, Washu-chan," the redhead chuckled, deviousness tingeing her voice.

"You know me," the redheaded scientist retorted mock-modestly. "I..."

Whatever Washu wanted to say was drowned out by a sudden acoustic signal emanating from a device to her right. by the looks of it the diminutive scientist was as surprised as the rest. "The hell!" she cursed very unladylike. "_He_ wasn't even due for at least two more days!"

A sudden suspicion dawned on Ranma. "_He_? You can't mean... can you?" she asked incredulously, hope flaring up in her eyes.

The look on Washu's face told her everything she needed to know. In an instant the Saotome girl had sprinted out of the main-lab leaving after-images in her wake, completely ignoring the shouts from the others. Ranma unconsciously used her ki and began to run ever faster until everything turned into a blur, and not five seconds after she'd started running she came to a skidding stop in front of the door that held the reg-tank where _he_ healed.

Taking a second to recompose herself Ranma finally stepped into the range-scope of the sensors, and the door obediently swished open. The redhead tentatively stepped into the room, unsure of what to expect. Her eyes scanned the room, and for a second or two she had the absurd hope that he had already exited the tank on his own. However, one look at the said tank told her that he was still inside, in all his glory. Ranma stepped closer, and a blinking computer-message drew her attention. DRAINING NUTRIENT FLUID, it read. The redhead had spent enough time with Washu during her stay to know what this meant. The regeneration was complete! Her love was finally, finally coming out of the tank after all this time!

Ranma barely registered someone teleporting in, she just remained standing in front of the tank like a child in front of the window of a sweets-store, a look of longing and happy expectation intermixed on her face.

Washu on her part suppressed the smirk that would've split her face in two with difficulty. Ranma's reaction was just too cute, but who could really fault her in a situation like this? Stepping in front of the console she double-checked everything, but the result remained the same: Kasumi Tendo was healed, two days earlier than even her most optimistic prognosis had predicted at that.

She'd love to uncover the reasons why, but that was for later. First of all she had a patient to take care of, find out what made him tick she could later.

-.-

Kasumi slowly drifted in and out of consciousness. It almost felt as if something... or someone was calling him. Then it came to him with sudden, overwhelming clarity, and he remembered everything. The fight. Him throwing himself in front of Ranma. Pain, lots of it. Ranma. How she'd yelled that she loved him. Had that been real? Had his emotionally crippled girlfriend, and for some reason this term sounded right, really called to the heavens that she loved him? He had to know. And there was only one way to find out: he had to fight to stay conscious.

His outer awareness returned bit by bit, and he could feel that he was surrounded by some kind of fluid that gave him the feeling of floating gently. But this feeling was subsiding more and more, and he forced himself to open his eyes to learn what was going on around him. Pouring every ounce of strength he possessed into it he finally managed to open his eyes, and at first everything was nothing more than a blur, prompting him to close his eyes again.

Moments later he came to the conclusion that this had nothing to do with his eyes and everything with the green fluid he was immersed in, and this realisation calmed him considerably. When he opened his eyes again the fluid had been drained sufficiently to allow him full sight of everything that was happening outside, and he took a deep breathe on reflex.

The first thing he saw outside the tank was fiery red hair and the most beautiful face he'd ever seen. In this moment she was his angel, a being of divine beauty that had called him back from the land of Morpheus, and the one single being he loved more than anything else in his life. When he saw her happy and excited face he made the vow to never let her go, to make Ranma his and his alone.

-.-

Ranma saw the happy smile that graced the face of her boyfriend, and true to what she'd told Ryoga a few days back, the term 'boyfriend' felt oddly appropriate. A few weeks ago she'd have punted anyone who'd have dared to utter something even remotely like that to the moon, but now, strangely, she didn't care.

Maybe it was due to the sudden clarity that had been brought about by Kasumi almost dying, which had in turn bestowed upon her the realisation that gender mattered little in the grand scheme of things (especially where gender-changing individuals such as them were concerned), maybe it had been some other factor she couldn't quite fathom, but Ranma didn't care either way.

The redhead simply mirrored Kasumi's smile, and suddenly found herself being hugged from behind. She craned her neck and looked up into the smiling face of her mother and saw the same elation there she herself was feeling. "He has woken up, mom! He's finally woken up!" she exclaimed, bouncing on the spot.

"I know, dear," Nodoka said softly, her smile broadening. "Washu-chan told Soun and me a minute ago and brought us here."

Ranma leant backwards into the comforting embrace. she might be one of the strongest on this planet, but it did a world of good to know that she had people who supported her, whom she could draw strength from when needed. A soft smile played on Ranma's lips as the tension that had been eating away at her drained away, and she allowed her thoughts to wander as she watched the love of her life.

Said thoughts strayed from Kasumi to the fantastic friends she'd made, Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka, as well as Sasami, Katsuhito and Washu, and finally stopped at the person holding her, her mother. The older redhead had undergone the most mind-boggling change of all from a source of constant discord to someone she could trust blindly. Her mother had come to accept her as she was, and that had made accepting herself so much easier.

"Washu-chan," she heard Soun ask, "How is my son?"

All heads, unsurprisingly Ranma's too, turned to look at the diminutive scientist. A scientist who was smiling broadly. "He's completely healed. Kami-sama knows how and why earlier than scheduled, but I'm sure you don't mind."

"What's the world coming to? You acting sensible, Washu-chan? No impromptu exams, no important scientific research to conduct to determine the cause of this?" Ranma teased good-naturedly.

The other redhead smiled softly, much to Ranma's surprise. "There're things more important than exams, Ranma-chan."

"I... I'm touched, Washu-chan," Ranma uttered softly, and meant it.

Washu waved it away. "Aww, don't get all soppy on me, or I might just have to give you an exam," the scientist teased, prompting Ranma to present warding signs, which caused everyone to laugh, "Besides, I got all relevant data on data crystal," she said with a smirk.

Ranma face-vaulted rather spectacularly and painfully. "Tenchi was right, some things never change..." she muttered, shaking her head.

"Can we get my son out of that thing now?" Soun interjected, impatience tingeing his voice.

"Yeah, I second that notion, Washu-chan. I want my Ka-kun out of there and here with me," Ranma agreed, only to realise a second later what she'd said.** 'Stupid hormones,'** she thought a bit disgruntled, but refused to blush even as the others nodded knowingly.

"As you wish," Washu replied with a mock-curtsy.

Her spectral chair appeared thirty centimetres above the ground and the scientist plopped into it. Ranma just wanted to exclaim that this was no time for getting comfy, but chose to close her mouth when a spectral keyboard appeared from thin air. Washu instantly began typing away at super-sonic-speeds, and seconds later the door of the reg-tank swung open. seeing that the nutrient fluid had been drained already the tank would've opened in a minute anyway, but Washu didn't feel inclined to tell a certain love-struck redhead to wait for another minute. She had originally just included this minute for the patient to get fully re-accommodated with the outside world, but seeing as that had apparently happened anyway it was a moot point.

They watched as Kasumi removed the breathing-mask from his face, and seeing that the contacts had already been retracted into the tank the oldest Tendo child could step out. Which he did, and quiet wobbly at that. Ranma on her part reacted in a flash and had his balance re-established in a moments notice. The way she did it was apparently greatly appreciated, gauging from his bodily reaction.

Next to none of the observers noticed it, but when Ranma had shot forward and stabilised Kasumi by embracing him her very female figure had unexpected effects on Kasumi. The poor woman-turned-man looked very embarrassed at his instinctive physical reaction, and Nodoka, who'd always been good at reading people read the situation correctly when her daughter squeaked, "Oh my!"

**'Kami-sama above, this could really mean grandchildren!' **she thought, and looked at Soun to gauge if he'd observed anything, but aside from her and apparently Washu no one seemed to have noticed.

Ranma for her part was frozen to the spot, her mind blank as she felt something press into her abdomen. But instead of shrieking "Gross!" like the small voice in the back of her head demanded the redhead felt compelled to look into Kasumi's eyes by a stronger yet gentler voice. Finding nothing but unconditional love and embarrassment soothed her frayed nerves and prompted Ranma to think rationally.

With her mind having kicked back into gear Ranma easily came to the conclusion that the instinctive reaction of Kasumi-otoko's anatomy was quite understandable, and instead of being scared out of her mind Ranma understood. The dreams she'd been having about Kasumi and herself in certain situations as well as the information she had acquired on the net and elsewhere had eased a lot of her fears, but it was her love for this woman-turned-man, this person who was both sides of the coin just as much as her that didn't allow a knee-jerk reaction to push him away.

The one holding her and reacting so strongly to her was _Kasumi_, the person she loved in both forms, regardless of the outer package. They'd have their other forms for the rest of their lives, and she'd meanwhile gotten used to the idea that she'd always be half-and-half. which wasn't lest due to the fact that the one she loved shared her 'fate' and always would.

Leaning in closer so that only he could hear her, which teased Kasumi's male body in ways he'd never known, she whispered teasingly, "If you had your pants on I'd ask if you have a stone in your trouser pocket or if you like me. But this is way too easy."

The woman-turned-man blushed deeply and whispered, "I can't help it, it just happened!"

Ranma smiled, her surroundings completely forgotten. "Think nothing of it, Ka-kun, it's normal. But don't you think I'm anywhere near ready to even consider letting you put that thing into me," she said sternly, holding him at arms length until he'd nodded, only to pull him close again, "But I'm glad that you love me. I love you more than anything in the world. Promise me that you'll never leave me again," she whispered and strengthened the hug to where it became almost painful, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

Kasumi marvelled at how emotional Ranma was, how open, how vulnerable. gone was the Ranma of old who used to hide behind a mask of unflappable machoness, leaving in her place someone who wasn't afraid to show her feelings and act on them. Not that he minded the change in the least, rather the contrary. Softly stroking his girlfriend's hair he looked down at her. "I love you too, Ra-chan. More than words could ever convey," he whispered, and captured her lips in a soulful kiss that nearly caused Soun and Nodoka to go catatonic with happiness.

Soun, feeling happier than ever before in his life, threw a bundle at his son. "Catch, Kasumi!"

Kasumi did just that, and everyone got an involuntary glimpse upon what Ranma's presence had caused. Soun's and Nodoka's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets (Nodoka's for different reasons than Soun's), whereas Washu smirked and nodded knowingly to herself. The Saotome matriarch made a fast recovery, and was quite surprised that Ranma had not freaked. **'Maybe she's even more my daughter than I'd thought,'** the Saotome matriarch thought to herself.

All the more surprising was that Kasumi had only faintly blushed, and re-established his modesty in a matter of seconds. Once done the girl-turned-boy smiled lovingly at his girlfriend. "You know that I can't promise to never leave you again, but I'll try my best not to, my Ra-chan."

Soulful blue eyes looked up at him. "I'd even fight Death itself to stay united with you," she exclaimed defiantly. "We'll be together forever."

Love-filled brown eyes locked on soulful blue ones. "Together forever, my love," he agreed and kissed her fully again. Suddenly an idea formed in his mind, and he acted on it without hesitation. He had very nearly lost his life, and the love of his life would have been left behind, all alone, grieving. This incident had taught him an important lesson as he remembered a saying he'd learned in the English lessons at school: carpe diem, seize the day. And that he would. He'd live life to the fullest in both forms, and he was determined to enjoy life together with Ranma. Together forever.

Swallowing his nervousness and getting his act together he looked intently at his gorgeous girlfriend, his expression solemn and serious. "Ranma, you have helped me so much in these past weeks it's incredible. Without you I'd never have come this far, and words can hardly express my feelings for you.

"Ranma, you're the love of my life, and I'll set heaven and hell in motion that nothing will do us part," he vowed solemnly and knelt down on one knee, to the surprise of everyone. "Will you marry me, Ranma Saotome?"

**to be continued**...

_Hard to believe (even for me), but after years on life support this story has revived itself. _

_I hope this new chapter turned out to be interesting and managed to hook old and new readers alike. Personally I like the twists the story takes here, and writing this chapter was fun. Anywho, until next time (which won't take nearly as long)._


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